Queen Checkmate
💮Third Person💮
Raul sped back to his condo, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, Angel's urgent message burning in his mind.
He trusted Angel—she'd never lie to him, but doubt flickered, a nagging question of how she'd known.
Was she afraid a child would bind him to Catalina, pulling him back to a marriage he'd long abandoned?
He'd sworn he'd never leave Angel, yet the possibility that she might stoop to manipulation gnawed at him, even as he dismissed it.
Inside, Catalina sat on the plush couch, legs crossed tightly, her blonde hair pulled back, her green eyes blazing with barely contained excitement as she glared at Angel.
Across from her, Angel lounged, infuriatingly relaxed, nibbling on a slice of watermelon, its juice glistening on her lips.
The contrast between them was grim—Catalina's tense anticipation versus Angel's cool defiance, each woman a mirror of the other's determination to claim Raul.
Raul's arrival shattered the standoff, his presence filling the room like a storm. Catalina sprang up, rushing toward him.
"Raul, I'm glad—" she started, but he pushed her aside, his focus locked on Angel.
"Caramella," he called, his voice rough, pulling her arm with enough force to send the watermelon slipping from her hands, splattering red juice across the marble floor.
"My watermelon," Angel pouted, her gaze dropping to the mess,
"Are you sure about what you said, Angel?" Raul asked, his tone sharp, his blue eyes searching hers for any hint of deception.
Angel pulled back from him, slightly annoyed.
"She hasn't left, Raul. Ask her yourself."
Raul turned toward Catalina, whose eyes widened. She didn't understand what they were talking about—but her gut twisted with dread.
Whatever game she thought she was playing, it looked like it wasn't going to end in her favor.
Raul leaned back, his blue eyes cold and unyielding as Catalina's thin lips stretched into a smile she likely thought was charming.
"Baby, I have good news," she chirped, her voice syrupy with feigned excitement.
She placed a manicured hand on his cheek, her touch bold, possessive.
Behind him, Angel's nails dug into his palm, a silent warning that promised retribution for allowing Catalina's caress.
Raul's jaw tightened, but he remained still, watching Catalina's performance unfold.
"We're going to be parents!" Catalina squealed, bouncing with exaggerated joy.
"We'll go baby shopping soon, design the nursery. Tell me, Raul, what gender do you want first?"
"Whatever you want, Catalina," he replied, his voice flat, devoid of warmth. She beamed, oblivious, and grabbed his wrist, tugging eagerly.
"Come on, we have to leave. I've planned something special for tonight. Our baby will fix our marriage."
Her eyes shone with desperate hope as she spun, pulling him toward the door, but Raul didn't budge.
"What marriage, Catalina?" He asked, his tone cutting through her enthusiasm.
She froze, slowly turning to face him, confusion clouding her green eyes.
"O-our marriage, of course," she stammered, her smile faltering.
He let out a short, humorless laugh and pulled his wrist from her grasp. "Did you really think a pregnancy would bind us?"
His words were ice, each one deliberate, stripping away her illusions.
Catalina's mouth fell open, disbelief morphing into panic.
"Where's this going, Raul? You can't mean you'll leave me—us—knowing I'm carrying your child!" Her voice rose, shrill and frantic.
"Listen carefully, Catalina," Raul seethed, his voice cold and razor-sharp. "I didn't say I wouldn't father the child. But we—you and I—we're done."
"What the hell are you talking about?" she shrieked, her cheeks now a furious scarlet, resembling a human tomato.
"That's not possible, Raul! When our child grows, what do I tell them? That their father abandoned us because he chose his mistress over his family before they were born?"
Raul's smirk was sharp, predatory.
"You won't need to explain, Catalina. I'll tell the child myself—how their mother was unfaithful, sleeping with their real father, my twin, while married to me. I'll tell them how you tried to deny Nikolai his rights out of your selfish, wicked heart."
Catalina staggered back, her green eyes brimming with panic.
"W-What are you talking about? You think I slept with your brother?"
"I don't think, Catalina. I know."
Her nose flared, her composure unraveling. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a weak, trembling sound escaped.
"Is that what this is?" she cried. "You're just looking for an excuse to push me away—because that bitch told you this?"
She stormed toward Angel, fury boiling in her expression, but Raul blocked her path instantly, standing protectively in front of Angel like a wall of fire.
"Your game's over, Catalina," Raul declared.
"Even if that child were mine, I'd show them love, and they'd have two mothers—you, who gave birth, and my wife, who'd treat them with kindness."
He took a step closer, looming.
"Go play house with Nikolai. And expect the divorce papers from my lawyer soon. Sign them by week's end, or I'll expose the real Catalina Suarez to the press."
Catalina's face drained of color, the devastation in her expression a sight Raul would've paid millions to witness again.
"Raul, you can't end our marriage," she pleaded, tears spilling over. "I won't let you. And Mamá—"
"Don't try blackmailing me with Mamá," he cut her off, his voice a growl.
"She's my mother, and I'll handle her. Sign the papers, Catalina. If you think refusing will keep me, you're wrong. I'll tell the courts you're mentally unstable, annulling our marriage without your signature."
Her hands shook. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"You're ending our marriage over her?"
For a moment, he was silent.
"If I were you," he said slowly, "I'd end this peacefully. Otherwise, I'll crush your career. I own media houses across the world. One word from me, and your name is mud."
Her sobs turned into wails. "You can't end us, Raul. We're meant to be. I can't live without you."
A quiet snicker slipped from Angel, barely audible, but loud enough.
Catalina's eyes blazed.
"Then die peacefully," Angel said with a sweet venom in her voice. "You're wasting our time. It's bedtime."
Raul grabbed Catalina by the wrist. She struggled, but she was no match for his strength.
"I'm giving you one week," he warned, dragging her toward the door. "Sign the papers—or deal with the consequences."
He shoved her out and slammed the door in her face, blocking out the screams that followed.
Behind him, a soft laugh bubbled up. He turned to see Angel, smiling to herself—until she caught him looking. Her grin faded and she dropped her gaze, as if embarrassed.
His heart clenched.
He had doubted her, even for a second, and that tore at him.
"Raul, I—" she started to speak, but he didn't let her finish.
He wrapped his arms around her. She immediately melted into him, arms wrapping tight around his torso like she knew exactly what he needed.
She smelled like cocoa and something soft. Familiar.
He closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her in—letting her warmth calm the war still raging in his chest.
Only she had the power to silence the storm.