Bela Rosa Apartments Novels & Stories

Chapter 8 Rafael drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the open window. The address he had scheduled with the realtor was saved in the GPS: a new building, a single tower of glass and steel, named “Residencial Horizonte.” Duplex penthouse, 180 square meters, 360-degree view, private pool on the balcony. Perfect. He parked in the reserved spot in the underground garage; the realtor had already granted access. He took the private elevator straight to the top floor. As soon as he stepped out, she was already there, waiting in the apartment’s entrance hall.

As promised, Richard sent over a catalogue of some apartments to Bella and asked her to make her choice. The five apartments were all located in high-rise buildings and when Bella found out that about them, she was conflicted. "The apartments are beautiful, but I don't think I can afford any of them in the long run. They are expensive," she reported back to him in a text and the next second, he requested a video call. In her mind, Bella was praying that Richard wouldn't offer to pay her rent just for her to get any of those apartments. Fortunately, that wasn't the case after she accepted the call.

All the guys I dated back then thought N*****x and chilling at their places was the equivalent of a date. The apartment Bella brought me to is a dream. It’s a sleek two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit with, wait for it—a powder room. The open-concept kitchen has gleaming marble countertops, modern appliances, and a cozy breakfast nook. The living space is bright with large windows and high ceilings. Everything looks new, stylish, and expensive. The first thought that crosses my mind is a screaming voice telling me there’s no way we’re going to afford this place, at least not on my end. The well-dressed realtor seems eager to close the deal. Bella turns to me with hopeful eyes.

He muttered something into his walkie-talkie, then motioned for her to go inside. She stepped through the iron gates, and the chill that ran down her spine had nothing to do with the morning air. This was it. She was inside. The Delgado mansion was exactly what she'd imagined; elegant, intimidating, and soulless. Black stone, endless windows, and security cameras that tracked every step. The kind of place that didn’t just keep secrets. It buried them. A tall woman in a gray uniform led her through a marble hallway. “You’ll clean. You don’t speak unless spoken to. And never touch anything that glows, clicks, or looks more expensive than your life. Understand?”

La propriétaire, une personne âgée nommée Mme Bell, leva les yeux de derrière le comptoir. Puis-je vous aider ? Je cherche une personne nommée Rosa Reyes. Les yeux de Mme Bell étincelèrent d une pointe de reconnaissance, bien que son visage changeât légèrement. Reyes ? Oui. Elle vit de l autre côté de la ville, à l est. Est-elle la tante de Marisol Reyes ? Les sourcils de la vieille femme se levèrent de surprise. Vous connaissez Marisol ?

Without another word, he left the penthouse to execute his task. With the chauffeur gone, Jason quickly sent a text to Rosa. His message was brief but laced with anticipation: someone would be picking her up shortly to bring her over to the penthouse. Rosa’s response was almost immediate—a flurry of excitement and eagerness filled her words. She had only ever seen the penthouse in news photos, a glamorous, almost mythical place that promised a taste of a world she had never known firsthand. The prospect of finally stepping inside its walls thrilled her, even if the invitation came with an undertone of urgency and secrecy.

The application arrived through a name Elena didn't recognize from any of Owen's introductions or Mr. Alvarez's community gatherings, a woman named Rosa Delgado who'd lived above the hardware store on the corridor's western edge for six years, though the lease itself belonged to her brother, who'd moved to Phoenix eighteen months earlier and never formally transferred the paperwork. Rosa had continued paying rent directly to the landlord in cash, an arrangement common enough in the neighborhood that nobody had thought to formalize it, and now, facing displacement from Bellwood's expanded construction footprint, she had no lease in her own name to prove she qualified for the fund's protection

"They have a date with Baldo, eh." Rose is really like that when she has a boyfriend so I'm used to it. He recovers and still makes time for our walks. And that's enough for me. "In that case, you're the only one going home? Let's go together! The apartment I'm staying in is close to Sta. Riva. It's as if you're not going home alone. You know, there are a lot of temperamental people out there. It's good to have someone with you. "

"Going to tear down everything they built. Put them in cages where they belong." Eve nodded. "You two want something before we ride on to meet our target? Food? More coffee? A minute to brief me on what exactly I am walking into?" Kane smiled. "The cafe is called La Rosa Negra. The Black Rose. It is in a neighborhood called Condesa. Upscale area. Lots of expats. Avery should feel comfortable there. The owner is friendly to law enforcement. He knows we use his place for meetings sometimes. He will keep an eye out."

“Hey, Daniel. Are you there?" Bella pressed the device on her ear and whispered with her other hand reaching the door of the car to open it. “Hm. Wo. Bella. Sorry. I was trying to hack the CCTV." The voice on the other communication device reached in her ear. Daniel was sitting on the roof of their hotel where they reserved rooms. "Located along the East 2nd Ring Road close to the Dongzhimen subway station, beside Roly Plaza. Heol Housing." He informed her of the location.