CHAPTER THREE - LOUD SILENCE

Valerie did not move after Isabella left the room. She sat still on the edge of her bed, the warning echoing inside her chest like a slow drumbeat. Remember your place. Those words struck deeper than anger. They carried the sharpness of rejection and the coldness of betrayal. She had only agreed to carry the child because Isabella asked. She never forced herself into this mansion. She did not deserve suspicion.

Her throat tightened, but she blinked the tears back. Crying would solve nothing. She rubbed her stomach gently and whispered to the little life inside her. “I will protect you. I promise. No matter what happens.”

The baby kicked softly as if understanding.

A few minutes later, a maid knocked softly and informed her that lunch was ready. Valerie stood slowly, her feet swelling more than usual. When she made her way downstairs, the house felt different. Quieter. Heavier. She sensed tension in the walls, as though the mansion itself was listening.

She took a seat at the dining table. Isabella sat at the head, impeccably dressed, her posture perfect, her smile practiced. She did not look at Valerie until Alejandro walked in. When he did, Isabella’s expression changed immediately. She brightened, she softened, she welcomed him with a warmth she had refused to offer Valerie.

Alejandro sat beside Isabella, though his eyes drifted toward Valerie the moment he settled in. A tiny flicker of concern appeared before he hid it behind a neutral expression.

“How is your rest?” Alejandro asked her quietly.

Valerie answered without looking at Isabella. “Better.”

Isabella smiled faintly. “Good. You will need to stay healthy.”

The meal was quiet for a time, too quiet. Alejandro kept his eyes on his plate, though every now and then Valerie felt his gaze brush hers. She tried not to react. The moment she met his eyes, she would break whatever fragile balance remained.

Halfway through the meal, Isabella cleared her throat.

“I have decided we should hire a personal nurse for Valerie,” she announced, taking a slow sip of water.

Valerie’s fork paused. “A nurse?”

“Yes,” Isabella said. “Someone to help monitor your health closely. Someone to stay with you. Someone who can be… watchful.”

The last word stung.

Alejandro lifted his head slightly. “Isabella, she does not need a nurse. She is already in good health.”

Isabella smiled without warmth. “It is only a precaution.”

Alejandro frowned. “A nurse in the house creates unnecessary pressure. Valerie is already anxious. She needs peace.”

Isabella’s jaw tightened by a fraction. “Peace is exactly what I want for her.”

They held each other’s gaze, silent tension filling the space between husband and wife.

Valerie felt like an intruder and wished the ground would open beneath her.

Alejandro finally looked away. Isabella continued eating as though nothing happened.

After lunch, Valerie excused herself immediately. She walked to her room, but her steps grew slow halfway up the stairs. Her chest tightened, her breath shallow. She paused and held the railing, rubbing her belly. She felt lightheaded for a moment, the weight of emotions too heavy.

Someone touched her back gently.

Alejandro.

His touch made her gasp.

He withdrew his hand instantly, almost in panic. “I am sorry. You did not look steady.”

“I am fine,” she whispered, though her voice shook.

Alejandro stepped in front of her, blocking her path up the stairs with concern in his eyes. “You do not have to pretend.”

“I am not pretending,” Valerie insisted.

He looked at her more intensely now. “Valerie, listen. Isabella is under stress. She does not mean to sound harsh.”

Valerie lowered her eyes. “She does not trust me.”

“She is afraid,” Alejandro said softly. “She has lost too much. She fears losing again.”

Valerie nodded weakly. “But I am not the enemy.”

Alejandro exhaled deeply. “I know that.”

Their eyes met.

His gaze held something dangerous. Something forbidden. Something she should run from.

She stepped back. “I should rest.”

Alejandro hesitated, then nodded and let her pass.

But Valerie felt his eyes on her as she climbed the stairs slowly. When she entered her room, she closed the door with trembling fingers. She leaned against it, trying to steady herself.

She could not let Alejandro’s gaze affect her. She could not let the warmth in his eyes seep into her chest. She was here for a reason. She needed the money. She needed to leave after giving birth. Nothing more.

She sat on her bed and rubbed her stomach again. “We just need a few more months,” she whispered. “Then we can go.”

Her words were interrupted when she heard heated voices downstairs.

Isabella.

And Alejandro.

She crept closer to her door, careful not to make noise.

“Alejandro, do not speak to me like I am imagining things,” Isabella said sharply. “You were alone with her in her room.”

His voice came quieter but firmer. “She is carrying our child and she did not look well. That is all.”

“It does not look like that,” Isabella hissed. “It looks like something else.”

Alejandro’s tone dropped into a deeper register. “Do not turn this into jealousy.”

“Jealousy?” Isabella repeated. “You never checked on me like that when I was pregnant.”

The silence that followed was heavy and painful.

Alejandro finally spoke. “Because I was afraid. I was afraid every touch would make you lose the baby. I was afraid of hurting you. I was afraid of losing you again.”

Valerie’s heart twisted.

Isabella’s voice softened a little. “Then why do you touch her?”

“I did not touch her,” Alejandro whispered. “I only caught her before she slipped.”

A beat of silence.

A longer beat.

Then Isabella whispered bitterly, “You are seeing her. You are seeing her in ways I cannot ignore.”

Alejandro’s response came in a harsh whisper. “I am not.”

Valerie’s breath shook, trapped behind her door.

The argument ended abruptly with the sound of footsteps separating.

Moments later, Valerie heard someone climbing the stairs. She rushed to her bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and pretended to sleep.

Her door opened quietly.

Alejandro.

He stepped inside slowly. His footsteps barely brushed the floor.

He approached her bed and stood there for a long time. Valerie felt his gaze on her like heat across her skin. She forced her breathing to stay steady, though her chest tightened painfully.

He whispered so softly she barely heard it. “I do not know what you are doing to me.”

The words pierced her like a knife.

He inhaled deeply, as though fighting himself again, then left the room quietly.

Valerie opened her eyes only after the door clicked shut.

Her pulse raced through her entire body.

She knew now with terrifying clarity.

Alejandro Rodriguez was slipping.

And she did not know how long she could resist slipping with him.