Paid To Pretend, Destined To Love のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

It's finally the day. Madrid looked softer that night. The light that usually sat on the streets during the day had disappeared, leaving behind a cooler evening that settled gently over the streets. Cars moved beneath rows of warm streetlights and people still occupied cafés and pavements as though the city had collectively agreed that sleep could wait. Around the Salamanca district, the buildings stood with quiet confidence; cream-coloured facades, narrow balconies dressed with flowers and restaurant windows glowing against the darkening sky. Rachel sat inside the taxi and looked outside for the third time in less than a minute. She adjusted the sleeve of her dress unconsciously. Then she adjusted it again. She let out a sigh. “Stop touching it, Rachel. You can be yourself and still fit in” she muttered to herself.The dress had taken her almost forty minutes to finally settle on. It was elegant without looking like it had tried too hard. The fabric was a deep emerald green that shi

Rachel finished her shift later than she planned. It was already past midnight. The night had fully taken over, but the energy had not completely burnt out yet. People were still outside like it's daytime. The bar staff were already moving with quieter urgency, clearing glasses, wiping counters, dealing with customers who refused to accept that it was closing time. Rachel worked through it all without complaint, until the manager finally signalled that she could leave. When she stepped out, she was completely burnt out. She could not wait to lay on her bed. Groups of people walked slowly instead of rushing, taxis paused longer at corners, and even the sound of traffic felt less aggressive, as if the city had lowered its voice. She adjusted her jacket, ready to head home. That was when she saw Joseph. She had forgotten that he had been waiting for hours. She was too busy with the customers to remember this. Joseph wasn’t inside a car this time. He was standing beside one, parked ne

Joseph took Rachel’s hand as they walked towards the family hall entrance. Their fingers fitted together in a way that looked natural from a distance. They made sure that every details made the illusion of a couple believable. Rachel adjusted her pace slightly to match his, aware of every step she took across the polished floor leading deeper into the house. Rachel admired Joseph in his tailored black tuxedo with midnight navy undertones. She was also trying to hard to fit in a world far from hers. She felt unreal in this setting. She thought briefly about her shoes, hidden beneath the long fall of the gown. They were from a small purchase three years ago. It was simple and elegant enough at the time, but nowhere near the level of luxury surrounding her now. The length of the dress fortunately covered them completely, and she found herself grateful for that small mercy, convinced that no one in this room would care enough to notice something so minor in comparison to their world.“Rac

The car door opened, and the cool night air drifted inside. Joseph stepped out first before turning to offer Rachel his hand. She accepted it, smoothing her dress with her free hand as she emerged from the vehicle. The lights from the hall illuminated the entrance, casting a warm glow over the people gathered outside. Rachel noticed that several conversations were paused and several pairs of eyes turned to their side. Rachel felt them immediately. She was curious and observant. She was waiting for the kind of attention that came when everyone already knew everyone else and a new face appeared among them. Abuela exited the vehicle more slowly, assisted by Mateo. The moment she straightened, several relatives moved toward her with greetings and kisses on the cheek. Rachel had barely taken in the scene when a man detached himself from the group and headed directly toward Joseph. He looked to be around Joseph's age, perhaps a year or two older. His dark hair was slightly untidy, and his

Rachel followed Joseph without needing to be guided verbally. Her nerves were calm because his hand did not just hold hers, but he stayed close enough that she could feel more confident in the room. The earlier tension had not disappeared entirely, but it had softened into something she could cope with. She was no longer overwhelmed with the thoughts of meeting the family or getting embarrassed, she had seen enough to know who and who not to be nice with. They reached the table slowly, and Rachel noticed immediately that seating here was not random. There was a kind of setting. Elders were positioned toward the centre, family branches spread outward in careful order. They all follow the sitting arrangements except Joseph's parents. Joseph paused briefly behind her chair before pulling it out. The gesture was simple but it did not go unnoticed by those who were watching them. Rachel lowered herself into the chair, smoothing her dress as she sat, suddenly aware again of how different sh