LOGINAuthor’s POVAlvaro smiled smugly in the darkness. He had deliberately staged all those steamy scenes. He knew full well that Farel had been standing there quietly, watching Bella from outside, this whole time.Alvaro understood his stepbrother’s devious nature all too well. Farel was the kind of man who was always obsessed with wanting what Alvaro had—especially anything that brought Alvaro pleasure or belonged to him. In the past, Farel had managed to take Angela away from him. But this time, Alvaro would never let Bella be snatched away so easily.All those moans and sighs were a deliberate bait set by Alvaro to provoke Farel into doing something crazy.This tactic was extremely risky. However, Alvaro had carefully calculated everything. If Farel were reckless enough to do something foolish just to take Bella away, it wouldn’t just be Alvaro who would be furious—his grandfather and father would be too. Their father might immediately revoke all of Farel’s luxurious privileges, or ev
“There are no ghosts, Bella. But there’s someone who’s secretly watching us,” Alvaro whispered right into my ear.I narrowed my eyes, instantly overcome by a surging curiosity about who this person secretly watching us might be.“Al, who is it?” I whispered urgently.Instead of answering right away, Alvaro pulled me away from the room. Then he led me to a room not far from there. “This is my room, Bella,” he whispered. I slapped my forehead. I’d forgotten that I didn’t know exactly where Alvaro’s room was, so I’d just grabbed his hand on a whim.Alvaro then opened the door to a room at the end of the hallway. We stepped into a room that looked like it hadn’t been occupied in a very long time.“When was the last time you slept here?” I asked, letting my gaze sweep over every corner. There was nothing special about the room. Not even a single keepsake photo hung on the wall.“It’s been a long time. Ever since I decided to move out and live on my own,” he replied flatly.I turned to fa
I smiled with satisfaction as I watched Dona get cornered. She even looked like she was trembling at the sound of her own husband’s loud outburst.She shook her head quickly, her eyes red as she held back the tears that were about to spill over from embarrassment and panic.“Honey, I didn’t mean it that way… You know what Varo is like, right? He used to really dislike Bella—he was even disgusted by her. So I thought—”“You thought what?” Alvaro snapped, cutting her off sharply. His gaze fixed on his stepmother with pure hatred. “I’ve told you time and again: never meddle in my affairs! You’re just my father’s wife, not my biological mother! If you ever touch or bother Bella again, I’ll make sure all of you are kicked out of this house!”Alvaro’s voice was so firm and thunderous that the dining room was instantly engulfed in a chilling silence.Dona couldn’t bring herself to utter another word. She bowed her head deeply while clenching her fists.Satisfied? Of course I’m very satisfied
“Bella, Grandpa’s granddaughter…” Grandpa Felipe’s voice sounded very warm as he welcomed me.The old man even immediately pulled me into a warm embrace, instead of hugging Alvaro, his biological grandson.“Grandpa’s granddaughter is truly amazing. I never expected you to be able to turn the company around like that,” Grandpa Felipe praised again, looking at me with pride.I smiled warmly as I clasped his fingers, which were beginning to show wrinkles. “You’re exaggerating, Grandpa. I’ve only made it this far because of my husband’s help, Grandpa. Alvaro has guided me so much,” I said softly, glancing at Alvaro, who had been standing silently beside me the whole time.Grandpa Felipe turned to look at Alvaro. The joy in his eyes shone clearly.“Do you still want to divorce her, Varo? I can see now that you’re head over heels in love with your wife,” Grandpa Felipe teased with a chuckle.Alvaro just let out a soft sigh. Without responding to his grandfather’s teasing, he strolled casual
Alvaro was gone, and my room had been cleaned up. Yet the lingering warmth of our lovemaking still crept through my entire body.Recalling what had just happened, my cheeks instantly flushed. Alvaro’s declaration of love—even though he hadn’t meant it for the real me—still managed to make my heart race erratically. I felt exactly like a teenager experiencing love for the very first time.And yet, I’d already been through that phase. I’d even tasted the bitterness of betrayal and heartbreak to the very last drop.“Your cheeks are really red. What are you daydreaming about, come on?”Lucia’s voice suddenly snapped me out of my reverie.I shook my head slowly while forcing a faint smile to hide my nervousness. “Nothing, really.”“Pfft, you’re definitely thinking about the steamy stuff you just did a moment ago, aren’t you?” Lucia snapped again, making my eyes widen in shock.“Luc! You…?” I stammered, overcome with intense anxiety that Lucia might have figured out what had just happened i
My body tensed as Alvaro stepped closer. He glanced at me briefly, then walked right past me, leaving me stunned and bewildered. But the very next second, I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.Click.I immediately swallowed hard. My heart was pounding because I knew exactly what he was going to do next.Alvaro took off his fancy jacket and tossed it onto the sofa, casually undid his tie, then rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows. His eyes were already clouded with a thick fog of passion.“Al… can’t we eat first?” I asked, trying to negotiate with what little courage I had left.He shook his head slowly, then suddenly pulled me by the waist until our bodies collided, leaving no space between us.“No, because you need to be punished, Bella…” he whispered in a hoarse, commanding voice.Without pausing, Alvaro lifted me up and sat me down right on top of the desk. He swept aside the stack of folders and papers there until everything fell in a chaotic heap onto







