جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

Arlari's POVThe air turned sharp.Severiano stood behind us, hands in his pockets, eyes colder than winter on metal. But as my heart banged in my chest, I was relieved he didn't hear everything.Not the part about the pregnancy.Not the part about the warning.Only the last sentence: time is running out.Still, that was enough to make his jaw clench.Esteban lifted his chin, staring right back at his son. No fear on his face. But his fingers twitched once, like a small, tiny tremor. And somehow, I saw it.He was scared of him. He was scared of his own son.Just a little.Deep under all that arrogance.Coldness must run in the blood in that family.“Time is running out,” Severiano repeated. His tone was so flat it sounded like a blade pressed on glass. “For what?”Esteban smiled that slow, fatherly smile that wasn’t fatherly at all. “For you to stop playing games.”“I don’t play.” His voice didn’t rise. It didn’t change. But everything went cold.Esteban leaned in. “You never see what

Arlari's POVThe room felt colder. Sharper.Severiano walked toward me slowly. Too slow.Like a predator approaching its prey.My back hit the nearby marble counter.He stopped right in front of me.His voice was low, smooth, and dangerous. “You interrupted me.”Like that was the crime of the century.“I…I didn’t want anyone to die,” I whispered.“And you thought it wise,” he murmured, “to speak over me. In front of my right-hand man.”I opened my mouth.He gently touched my chin.My brain’s circuits shut down.His thumb pressed lightly, tilting my head up so I had no choice but to meet those cold, gorgeous eyes.“Arlari,” he said softly, too softly, “never interfere again. Not unless I give you permission. Do you understand?”A shiver ran through me from the inside out.Fear?Yes.But also… something else. Something hot and stupid.I nodded. “Okay.”His thumb dragged along my jaw.“Good girl.”Oh hell no, he needed to stop doing that to me. My knees practically trembled under me.But

Arlari's POVI didn’t even get ten minutes to settle into that giant princess room before the door opened again.Severiano.He stepped inside like he owned not only the house but the air I breathed.His face was unreadable. “Don’t wander into the west garden or the lower deck,” he said. His tone was cold. “Some areas are not safe. Stay inside the main wing unless I’m with you.”I nodded like a good girl on the outside, but inside? Hell, no. My curiosity had already packed its bags.He left the room without waiting to see if I’d argue.I lasted maybe eight minutes, before I slipped out.The house was too beautiful, too suspiciously quiet, too big for someone like me not to poke around.I followed a long hallway that smelled like luxury, then stepped out onto a hidden terrace.It led into a small private garden with tall hedges and a glittering pool.Nobody was there.The water shimmered like blue glass.“I’m just looking,” I whispered to myself. “Not wandering.”Totally different. Righ

Arlari's POVThe party was still lively but for me, every step was a struggle. The kegel balls inside me shifted with the smallest movement, a low, insistent pressure that left my legs weak and my breath shallow.I moved carefully, but it didn't stop the torment.Severiano’s hand rested lightly on my lower back, guiding me through the crowd. His touch was firm, controlled, and he never let go, not even when my knees threatened to wobble.Then I saw her.A young girl, around Danny's age. Moving confidently through the crowd, she made her way directly to him. To Severiano.She threw herself into his arms with a laugh, and for a moment, the world around me stopped.Severiano’s face changed, softened in a way I had never seen. He ruffled her hair like a brother teasing a younger sister. She swatted his hand away playfully, laughing.He chuckled low and warm, completely in control, completely human.My breath hitched.“She’s Arlari,” Severiano said, tilting his head toward me. “And this

Arlari's POVThe ride back to the city was quiet. Too quiet. Severiano didn’t say a word. Not one.His hands gripped the wheel so tight his knuckles were white. His jaw clenched. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, like I wasn’t even there.I wanted to reach out. I wanted to say something, anything, but my throat felt dry. Heavy.Words formed and died inside me. I realized… I was scared of him. Not in the way you’re scared of a stranger.No. It was different, even deeper. Like the kind of fear that mixes with wanting. Wanting him to look at me. Wanting him to care.I tried to keep my eyes on the window. The city grew closer. My chest ached, not from the drive, but from him. From the way he ignored me, from the way I wanted him so badly I hated myself a little.When we reached the city house, the guards jumped out and went straight to their posts. Rafael’s eyes met mine for a split second, full of something I couldn’t name. Irene was already there. She gave me a small smile, like sh