CHAPTER SIX - WATCHFUL EYES

Valerie lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The morning light had grown sharper through the curtains, but it brought no warmth. Her mind was a storm, replaying every moment with Alejandro, every glance, every word, every brush of his hand against hers. She pressed her palm against her stomach and whispered to the baby.

“You have no idea how complicated this is,” she murmured.

The baby kicked, a tiny but firm reminder that she was carrying life that could not be ignored, that no matter how tangled her emotions grew, she had a responsibility to protect it. Yet every part of her felt the tension that had been building for days. Alejandro was everywhere in her mind, in her thoughts, in her dreams. He was impossible to ignore.

A soft knock at her door startled her.

“Valerie, it is just me,” Ariana’s voice said.

Valerie sat up. “Come in.”

Ariana entered quietly, closing the door behind her. She carried herself with the effortless grace of someone who always seemed to know more than anyone else. Her eyes flicked to Valerie, sharp, analytical, almost predatory.

“You look troubled,” Ariana said. She did not wait for Valerie to respond. “Selena came by again this morning.”

Valerie’s chest tightened. “I know.”

“She is dangerous,” Ariana continued. “She always has been. You have to be careful with her. She is not your friend, Valerie. She never was. She wants something from you, and she will take it if you let her.”

Valerie nodded slowly, trying to steady her breathing. “I am careful.”

“You are pregnant. You cannot afford mistakes. And Alejandro…” Ariana’s voice softened. “He cannot resist her either. She knows it, and she is using it.”

Valerie’s stomach twisted. “I do not know what to do. He is… he is different with me. He…” She could not finish. The thought of Alejandro’s lips brushing against her skin, the way he looked at her, the tension between them, made her pulse race.

Ariana moved closer and placed a hand lightly on her arm. “Listen to me, Valerie. You are stronger than you think. You can survive this, but you must stay alert. You cannot trust anyone fully. Not Selena. Not anyone.”

Valerie nodded again, but her heart betrayed her. Alejandro was impossible to resist, and her body had begun to betray her desires even as her mind tried to hold her back.

---

Later that afternoon, Alejandro found himself in the library, trying to escape the pull he could not ignore. He had been avoiding Valerie as much as possible, though every time he saw her, every time she smiled, every time she spoke, the restraint he fought so hard to maintain began to crack.

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room. His chest tightened with desire he could not name. He was married. He had responsibilities. Yet every thought of her, every memory of the night he had let himself brush against her skin, tore through his willpower.

“Why is this so hard?” he muttered under his breath. “Why do I want what I cannot have?”

The sound of soft footsteps interrupted his spiraling thoughts. He turned and saw Valerie standing in the doorway, her expression hesitant, uncertain.

“Valerie,” he said, his voice catching.

“Alejandro,” she replied softly, closing the door behind her.

He stepped toward her, trying to maintain control. “You should not be here. You should be resting.”

“I wanted to see you,” she whispered, her hands lightly pressed together. “I wanted to make sure everything is alright.”

His chest tightened. “You do not need to worry about me.”

Her eyes lifted to his, and for a moment, everything stopped. She saw the conflict in his gaze, the raw emotion he tried so hard to hide. Desire, frustration, restraint, and something more dangerous that neither of them could name.

“I cannot help it,” he said finally. “Every time I see you, I feel… everything.”

Valerie’s breath caught. “Alejandro…”

“I should not feel this way,” he continued, stepping closer. “I should not want you. But I do.”

Her stomach tightened, a rush of heat and fear mingling with the baby’s gentle kicks. “We cannot,” she whispered. “You are married. I am carrying your child. We cannot cross that line.”

He hesitated, the distance between them shrinking until it felt like they were the only two people in the world. “And yet,” he said, voice low, “I cannot stop thinking about you. I cannot stop wanting you.”

Her hand instinctively pressed to her chest as if to keep her heart from breaking. “Alejandro, you must leave,” she whispered.

He stepped closer still, his presence overwhelming, his breath brushing against her skin. “I cannot,” he admitted. “I will not leave you alone. Not when I feel this way. Not when I… need to protect you.”

Valerie’s pulse raced. Her body betrayed her completely as desire and fear collided. “Alejandro, please,” she said, but her voice trembled with the truth she tried to hide from herself.

He leaned closer, his lips just above hers, close enough that she could feel his warmth, taste the tension that hung in the air. She closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Every instinct screamed to pull away. Every desire screamed to let him stay.

Then, suddenly, the sound of a door opening broke the moment.

“Valerie?” Isabella’s voice called from the hallway.

Valerie gasped and stepped back, breaking the fragile distance. Alejandro stiffened, his jaw clenched. They were caught.

Isabella entered the room, her eyes narrowing as they fell on Alejandro. “I thought I told you to leave her alone,” she said, her voice calm but sharp enough to cut through the tension.

Alejandro bowed his head slightly. “I was checking on her health. That is all.”

Valerie felt heat rise in her cheeks. “Isabella, it is fine,” she said quickly. “Nothing happened.”

Isabella’s gaze swept over her, lingering just long enough to make Valerie feel exposed. “Good. I hope it remains that way,” she said, her voice cold.

Alejandro nodded stiffly. Isabella turned on her heel and left the room, the click of her heels fading slowly. Valerie exhaled shakily, pressing a hand against her stomach.

“We cannot do this,” she whispered, tears threatening. “We cannot keep pretending.”

Alejandro ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in his movements. “I know. I am fighting every part of myself. But every time I see you, every time I hear your voice, every time…”

“You cannot,” she said firmly, cutting him off. “We cannot give in. We must survive this pregnancy and leave it at that.”

He nodded, though his gaze lingered on her, dark and hungry. “I will try,” he said. “But I make no promises.”

Valerie pressed a pillow to her chest, holding it like a shield against the emotions she could no longer control. She closed her eyes, praying for strength, praying for the distance she needed.

Yet she knew, deep down, that the storm between them was only beginning.

And no one, not Isabella, not Selena, not even Ariana, could stop what was coming next.