Chapter 75: Mariana's Pov

Alejandro has put on his mask-literally and metaphorically.

Alejandro has gone rogue, wild, insane. He has become the man he dreads to be-cold, distant, wicked.

He looks at me and all I see in those eyes of his is a darkness that supersedes human comprehension. I'm carrying his child, and all he does whenever he sees me is take a quick glance at my bump, look away and walk past me like I don't exist.

It's been his routine for five months.

He hates me.

I know I have no right to complain because I did this to him, to us, still it hurts to see him like this, so distant, a shadow of himself.

A fucking killing machine who has no shame walking around soaked in blood.

Radimr must be happy that he's got his machine in human form back.

Let's talk about Radimr for a quick second. That fucking bastard. I cannot believe I sat here and took his torture all those days and all those months, pitying him, believing that he had a clinically diagnosed mental illness.

Turns out that my husband dearest is not ill-medically ill. His evilness and desire to put people through the most intense of tortures simply comes from the training he received from his father.

He was taught and conditioned to become whatever he wants to be whenever he needs to be it. Charming, kind, outgoing, introverted, a killer-he learnt how to become those.

But now, with his father dead, I've taken the opportunity to reconstruct his mind to work in my own favor.

How? It's quite simple. I do to him exactly what he did to me-drug him. Except, I don't drug him to keep him asleep for days and weeks like he did to me, I drug him to keep his emotions on the happy side.

To make him a little numb, a little weaker.

He doesn't know it yet, and even if he finds out, he'll be too happy to do anything about it.

Let's veer back to Alejandro because I swear to God, I'm at a point of rage where all I want to do pull out my gun and empty my chamber on. . . not on him, the bitch sitting beside him on my fucking dinning table, eating my fucking food.

Yeah, you guessed right, Alejandro brought a woman home today. And she joined us for dinner. Can you fucking imagine that?

And if she's here this late, it must mean she has no intention of leaving tonight.

He's mine.

When will he realize that he's mine until I say he's not?

"You really must be special for my brother to have brought you home, Rachel," It's Radimr's voice that snaps me out of a daze. Her name is fucking Rachel?

"You don't say," Rachel giggles, her cheeks flaring red.

She's blushing? Is she a fucking teenager?

I push my chair back, getting up on my feet with a force that sends pain shooting through my waist. I groan, my hands cradling my bump. Radimr stands and rushes to my side, holding and inquiring if I'm okay.

But my focus is completely on Alejandro. His jaw flexes, the movement subtle, except, I'm quick to notice it. And that tells me he still cares for me, for us.

"I'm nauseous, Radimr," I whisper, wincing, "I need to put my head down for a while."

"Let me come with you," Radimr says.

I shake my head gently. "You stay back and finish your dinner, hm? Join me after you're done."

He nods, "of course."

I walk as fast as I can, my footsteps carrying me upstairs into my room, my breath caught in my throat. "That fucking bastard. . ." I seethe as I slam the door shut, releasing the breath I've been holding in.

How can he do this to me?

How dare he bring another woman into my home?

I'm pacing back and forth, anxiously chewing on my thumb nail. And my baby has chosen now of all times to be kicking places it shouldn't be kicking.

I'm exhausted, tired, heavy, and yet, I don't find it in me to rest. How can I rest when my man will be sharing a bed-his bed with another woman?

WIll he fuck her? Touch her? Wait. . . have they done all of those things yet?

I don't know how long I've been pacing for, but I do know that when I hear heavy footsteps approaching, I run to the bed and throw the covers over myself, pretending to be asleep.

The steps stop in front of the door, hesitating for a few seconds. And then the door creaks open, gently as though whoever is walking in doesn't want to make his presence known.

I say whoever because Radimr would walk into this room like he owns it. This person is walking in like a stranger in another person's space. Like a thief in the night.

When I inhale a breath, I suddenly know who's creeping up on me. And I hold in my smile. His steps draw closer and closer and closer, until I feel the warmth of his body so close to mine. The duvet starts to shift downwards and I stir. He stops.

I fall calm again and he completely pulls the duvet off me. My dress rides up and his fingertips graze over my bump. My baby kicks and I hold in a moan. The touch is faint, almost not there. Except that it is, faint but there. And I feel it.

Then I feel his lips on my stomach. A soft kiss that lingers longer than seconds.

What is he doing? I wonder, but I can't open my eyes. I don't want him to stop.

"That man. . ." Alejandro starts, his voice a little over a whisper, "he tells me you're a boy." He chuckles, "Isn't it strange that another man found out your gender before your father did?"

My eyes well with tears, but I hold it in.

"Tell your mother to hurry on up with whatever she's doing, because I'm done sitting around and waiting to love you as I should. I'm at my last lap of patience."

I feel the wetness of his face drop to my stomach and a shiver quakes through me. I wait for him to talk again. He doesn't. It's silent for a moment before a whisper of his voice breaks through the silence.

"I love you, boy," he whispers and places another kiss on my stomach. "I love you. . . and your mother. . ." the words are not rushed. They're slow, intense. He places a kiss on my temple.

And then I don't feel his warmth anymore. He's walking away from me, from us. I want to reach out and hold him, yet, I find that I'm unable to move. I'm frozen in place.

The door closes behind Alejandro and the dam breaks, tears pouring out of my eyes, loud whimpers following with the same intensity.

I hear the door open again. Radimr. He runs towards me and hugs my head into his chest, cooing me. "What's wrong, baby, huh?" He asks, his voice filled with panic.

"I. . . I think I had a nightmare," I hiccup, "can I step out for some fresh air?"

"Of course," Radimr breathes. "Let's go."

"Let me be myself, please. I just need a moment," I plead.

Radimr nods, but the way his lips are thinned into a line, I know he doesn't want to let me go outside by myself, yet he finds himself unable to disagree with my decision.

I gently slide off the bed, staggering outside the room. Once outside, I head down the stairs. But instead of going outside in search of fresh air, I start to walk down the hallway leading to the library.

I haven't been there in a while, our room, the place where Alejandro and I find solitude without being interrupted.

I punch in the code to the secret doors and they slide open, ushering me in. And then I step in and my heart completely stop when a heart shattering sight crosses my view.

The girl, Alejandro's woman. . . she's here, sprawled out on the bed in just a thong and an excuse of a bra while Alejandro is leaning against the door frame of the bathroom, one hand holding the towel around his waist, the only thing keeping him from being completely naked.

And then he flashes me a mocking smile, and says. "Look at that, how easy it is to lure you out here and break your heart into a million pieces."