CHAPTER FIVE - THE CEO’S UNCONTROLLED FEELINGS

Valerie woke that morning with a sense of unease she could not shake. The sun had barely risen, but the mansion already hummed with subtle tension. She rubbed her stomach lightly, feeling the baby move, and whispered a quiet promise. “I will protect you. No matter what.”

The promise felt fragile. The world she had thought she could control was beginning to crack at the edges.

Her phone buzzed softly on the nightstand. A message from Ariana:

Selena and I will stop by soon. Do not be late for breakfast.

Valerie exhaled and slipped into a loose sundress, straightening her hair and trying to ignore the pounding of her pulse. When she opened the door, Selena and Ariana were already waiting in the living room. Selena’s bright smile was laced with subtle calculation. Ariana’s expression was unreadable, her eyes always observing, always analyzing.

“Good morning,” Valerie greeted, trying to keep her voice calm.

Selena smirked. “Morning, beautiful. How is our favorite pregnant girl today?”

Valerie forced a smile. “I am fine. Thank you for asking.”

Ariana set the tray of breakfast on the coffee table. “We thought you might need some company. A quiet morning with friends.”

Valerie glanced at them both. They seemed harmless. They were her friends. Yet, a faint twinge of doubt crawled in the back of her mind.

Selena leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Valerie, you have to be careful. Isabella trusts you, yes. But sometimes people around you do not mean what they say.”

Valerie frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that Alejandro is… complicated,” Selena said, tilting her head. “He is married, yes, but he has his eyes everywhere. Do not think that just because you are carrying his child, you are invisible.”

Valerie’s chest tightened. She did not know whether to feel threatened or insulted. “I am not trying to get his attention. I only want to finish the pregnancy and leave with the money I was promised.”

Selena smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “Of course. But sometimes, even the best intentions can attract trouble. Just remember that.”

Ariana sat silently, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. Her calm presence was unnerving, as if she understood more than she let on.

Valerie tried to push the conversation away. “Thank you. I appreciate your concern.”

Selena’s smile tightened. “Concern is one thing. Reality is another.”

Valerie wanted to ask what she meant, but the tension in the room was thick enough to make her swallow her words.

---

Later that morning, Valerie walked through the mansion’s hallways carrying her breakfast tray. She tried to ignore the pounding of her pulse. She was startled to find Alejandro in the hallway, leaning casually against the marble wall, his eyes fixed on her as if he had been waiting.

Her breath caught. She placed the tray down on a nearby table, her hands trembling slightly.

“Good morning,” she said softly.

“Morning,” he replied, his deep voice low, resonant. “How are you feeling?”

“I am fine,” she said quickly. “Really.”

His eyes scanned her face, reading her every emotion. “You do not look fine.”

Valerie swallowed. “I am fine, Alejandro. Please do not make this complicated.”

“Complicated?” His lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes were dark with something she could not name. “You make it complicated. You make everything complicated for me.”

Her stomach fluttered, a mixture of fear and desire tightening within her. “I am only here for the baby.”

He took a step closer, and the air between them thickened. “You are only here for the baby. And yet, here I am, thinking of nothing else.”

Valerie stepped back instinctively. “Alejandro.”

“I cannot help it,” he admitted, his voice dropping to a low, strained whisper. “Every time I see you, I feel… everything I cannot allow myself to feel.”

Her breath caught. She wanted to tell him to stop. She wanted to pull away. But she could not.

He leaned closer. Just slightly, but it was enough for the heat of his presence to press against her.

“You are dangerous,” she whispered, her fingers pressing lightly against her chest. “You should leave.”

“And risk leaving you alone?” he asked. “No. I cannot do that.”

Her chest heaved. She wanted to resist. She wanted to walk away. But every fiber of her body wanted him to stay.

And at that moment, footsteps echoed behind them.

Selena.

Her sharp voice broke the tension like glass. “Well, this is cozy.”

Valerie jumped slightly, Alejandro tensed. Selena’s eyes flicked between them, sharp and calculating. “I did not know the baby’s mother and father could be so… alone together.”

Valerie’s face flushed. “We are not—”

“You are not what?” Selena said, tilting her head. “Acting innocent? Pretending nothing is happening? I see everything.”

Ariana stepped into the hallway behind Selena, her calm, observing gaze fixed on Valerie. “Selena, be quiet. You are scaring her.”

Selena’s smirk widened. “I am just saying what everyone is thinking.”

Alejandro stepped in front of Valerie instinctively, creating a subtle barrier. “Leave,” he said, his voice cold.

Selena’s smirk broke for only a moment, replaced by sharp calculation. She pulled out her phone slowly, as though testing her power. “Careful, Alejandro. Not everything is in your control.”

He glanced at her, tension clear in the muscles of his jaw. “I am in control of what matters.”

Valerie’s heartbeat raced as the two of them stared each other down. The air felt thick and heavy.

Selena finally smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it. “Very well. But remember, Valerie. Not everyone wants to see you succeed. Some people would rather see you fail.”

Then she left, her footsteps echoing in the hallway. Ariana followed silently, leaving Valerie and Alejandro alone.

Alejandro exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “She is dangerous,” he muttered.

Valerie felt her stomach tighten. “You say that as though it is my fault.”

“No,” he said, stepping closer. “It is not your fault. It is mine. I cannot stay away from you. I cannot pretend I do not feel everything when I am near you. And I do not want to pretend anymore.”

Her breath shook. “Alejandro, you cannot. You are married. This is wrong.”

“I do not care about wrongs right now,” he whispered. “I only know what I feel. And what I feel is… you.”

Valerie pressed a hand to her chest, trying to slow her pulse. Every part of her screamed to resist, yet every part of her was caught in his pull.

“You must leave,” she whispered.

He leaned closer, his lips just barely brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I cannot. I will not.”

Her body betrayed her entirely. A shiver ran through her. She wanted to push him away, but instead, she stood frozen, lost in the depth of his gaze.

At that moment, the world outside the mansion ceased to exist. There were no rules. No promises. No Isabella. No money. Just him and her and the impossible pull between them.

And somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, Valerie knew that nothing would ever be the same again.