Chapter 17 The Surprise Visit

Chapter 17 The Surprise Visit

Seraphina’s POV

The car ride back to the hotel is silent, but my heart isn’t. It beats too fast, drowning out the faint hum of the engine.

Damien sits beside me, one arm resting on the window. He hasn’t said much since we left.

Maybe he regrets it… the money he spent on me.

I steal a glance at him. His face is calm, unreadable.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

He turns slightly, “You deserve it.”

I want to believe him.

But how can I? I’m just his maid, the girl who cleans his suite and serves his meals, not the one meant to sit beside him at dinner or wear dresses worth more than my entire salary.

The car turns onto the quiet avenue leading to our hotel. My fingers brush the fabric of my dress.

I’m not used to any of this, even though I once came from a wealthy family in Mexico.

Victoria… she’s the perfect match for him. She belongs to this world. She knows how to walk in heels worth a fortune, how to wear dresses men like him wants.

When the car stops, the night air brushes my flushed skin.

Damien takes some of the bags before I can, but an usher quickly steps forward. “Allow me, sir,” he says, taking them.

Inside the elevator, it’s just us. His cologne lingers in the still air. “Damien, sir…” I begin, but the words tremble and die.

He turns toward me, his voice low. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m scared.”

“Scared? Why?”

“You have a life waiting for you,” I say quietly. “A future. I don’t.”

He frowns, taking a slow breath. “And what if I don’t want that future?”

Before I can answer, the elevator chimes softly. We’ve reached our floor.

I step out quickly before my heart can betray me.

As I walk down the hall toward our suite, his voice follows me… soft, almost breaking.

“Seraphina…”

I don’t turn around. I can’t.

If I do, I might not have the strength to let him go again.

I love him, more than I should. And I fear losing him more than I can admit. I wish I could cling to his chest, feel his warmth, and stay there forever.

“Stop,” he says suddenly, catching up to me. “That’s an order.”

His voice is firm, but his eyes aren’t. He doesn’t look angry, just desperate. He doesn’t want me to walk away.

I try to turn again, but he grabs my hand, pulling me into his chest.

My breath catches. I can feel his heartbeat… steady, strong, and too close. Is this real? Damien and I… in a hug like this?

“You don’t have to be scared,” he murmurs.

I can’t speak. My hands clutch his shirt. I just want to stay there, glued to him forever.

Then he tilts my chin slightly, and before I know it, his lips are on mine.

This time, he doesn’t pull away instantly.
When he finally does, we both exhale shakily… and then he leans in again.

The second kiss is deeper, slower, filled with everything we’ve both been holding back.

I wrap my arms around his neck, and he lifts me effortlessly. My legs circle around his waist, my heart racing like thunder.

Then… a knock.

We both freeze.

Damien puts me down gently and walks to the door. A hotel staff member enters with a tray of supper. He arranges the food quietly and leaves.

The air feels different now. Heavy.

Damien looks at me, and I look at him. Neither of us says a word.

After a moment, he walks back into his room and shuts the door.

I’m not hungry, but after taking a shower, I go to the dining table anyway. Maybe he will come out and join me.

I nibble on some marinated olives and manchego cheese cubes. They taste good, but not enough to fill the emptiness sitting inside me.

When he still doesn’t come out, I return to my room and fall onto the bed, my thoughts circling him until I drift into sleep.
…

Morning comes quietly.

We have breakfast together, though neither of us says much. He tells me he’s going out to check some places and asks if I want to come along.

I shake my head. I really want to go, but after what happened last night, maybe it’s better to give us both some space… time to breathe, to think.

After he leaves, I turn on the TV in the sitting room. I flip through the channels until I land on a wildlife documentary.

I’ve always loved animals… their calmness, their innocence. I lose track of time watching lions move gracefully through the savanna.

A knock on the door breaks my focus.

I expect a hotel staff, maybe room service, but when I open it, I freeze.

“Sylvia?”

She grins, arms wide open. “Surprise!”

We scream in excitement, hugging tightly. Behind her stands a tall man in a dark suit, probably her bodyguard.

“How did you even find me?” I ask as we walk inside.

Her bodyguard stays by the door, silent.

“I was going to ask you the same thing!” she laughs. “You said you weren’t leaving Mexico. What brought you to Spain? You studying here too?”

“Actually…” I clear my throat. “It’s a long story. But first, how did you find me?”

She giggles mischievously. “Well, yesterday I saw you coming back with a handsome man. He didn’t look like a bodyguard, so I figured he was your…”

“Cut that crap!” I glare at her playfully.

She laughs harder, clutching her chest.

“Alright,” she says after calming down. “So my bodyguard, Lance, did his job and found out your suite number. And here we are!”

I sigh, shaking my head.

Of course she did. She probably saw us last night and got curious.

But seriously, why does she even need a bodyguard? This isn’t Mexico.

“So,” she brings me back to the present, “what are you doing here? And who’s that guy you’re staying with? Is he here?”

I sigh, “He’s not around. And he’s my… fiancé.”

The lie slips out before I can stop it. I can’t tell her the truth. Not yet.

Her eyes widen. “Oh wow! Mr. Harrington is your fiancé?”

Wait, did she just call his name?

“How do you know his name?”

She smirks. “Lance did some digging.”

My stomach tightens. What else does she know?

“The receptionist told him, maybe,” she says casually and then changes the topic, “Have you heard from Adriana?”

“I… I have no idea. You?”

“Yeah. She’s in Italy now. Studying medicine.”

“Wow, that’s nice.”

Before I can add more, the door opens.

Damien steps in looking worried.

“Hi,” Sylvia greets, standing up with a smile.

Damien doesn’t smile back. He looks straight at me. “Go and get your things,” he says coldly. “We’re l
eaving.”

“What? Why? Is everything okay?” I ask, confused.

He doesn’t answer. He walks straight to his room and slams the door.

The sound echoes.

Something’s wrong. Very wrong.