2025-08-21 19:54:39
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Chapter 21 – Shifting Shadows
Hermosa sat at the edge of her bed, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, her phone clenched in her hand like a lifeline she didn’t know how to cut.A soft knock tapped against the door before Bella stepped in, arms crossed, a knowing look in her eyes.“You called him last night,” Bella said plainly, walking over and sitting beside her. “I saw your call log when I picked up your phone to turn off your alarm.”Hermosa stiffened, her jaw tightening. “So, you’re checking my call logs now?”Bella raised her hands innocently. “I wasn’t snooping. I just saw it.”Hermosa looked away. “It’s not a big deal.”Bella gave a small laugh and pulled Hermosa into a side hug. “It is. And it’s okay. I know why you called him.”Hermosa didn’t respond, her eyes fixed on the floor.Bella continued gently, “He reminds you of Andre.”Hermosa flinched but didn’t deny it.“But they’re not the same,” Bella said, tightening her grip around her friend. “You need to get that into your head. Andre’s gone. You have
Chapter 20 – Night Watch
The soft glow from Bella’s laptop cast shifting shadows across the walls of the control room. Hermosa leaned in toward the CCTV monitors, her heart racing as the grainy images flickered. “There,” she whispered, pointing at a dark silhouette just beyond the iron gate.On screen, a figure stood still, head tilted as if listening. Then the person started gliding sideways, pacing slowly back and forth. Rain earlier that evening had dampened the driveway, puddles glistened in the low lamplight.Hermosa’s chest tightened. “Who is that?” she murmured.Bella closed the laptop but kept her eyes fixed on the screen. “Calm down. It’s a guard shift, someone checking the perimeter. Probably late.”Hermosa shook her head, frowning. “It’s too one-pointed. Someone staying in one spot, watching the gate.”Bella's phone buzzed. She checked the time. “Okay. I’ll go check the back. You go upstairs. Stay with your father.”Hermosa reached for her phone on the table. Heat tingled through her fingers. She h
Chapter 19 – Shadows of Truth
The late afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows of Don Alaric’s study, casting golden streaks across the polished mahogany floor. The scent of cigars lingered in the air, faint but unmistakable. Valerie stood by the bar cart, pouring herself a glass of sparkling water, while Don Alaric sat behind his desk, a contemplative look etched onto his face.She glanced at him as she took a sip. “You didn’t eat much at lunch,” she said. “That’s rare for you.”“I wasn’t hungry,” he replied flatly, his eyes focused on a small photograph on his desk, a weathered image of a young woman holding a baby. Hermosa and Andre Jr., from years ago.Valerie set her glass down. “She’s getting to you, isn’t she?”Alaric didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly. “She asked him to take off the mask.”Valerie raised a brow. “You knew she would. She was bound to get curious.”There was a knock at the door.“Come in,” Alaric called.The door creaked open, and the man who had
Chapter 18 – Shadows and Suspicions
Bella stepped out of her car, her eyes scanning the quiet estate. The early morning sun cast long shadows across the driveway, and the air was still, almost too still. She clutched her handbag tightly as she made her way to the front door, her heels clicking softly against the stones.Hermosa opened the door before Bella could even knock. Her face was pale, her eyes guarded, and there was a tension in her shoulders that immediately set Bella on edge.“You look like hell,” Bella said gently, stepping inside.“I feel worse,” Hermosa replied. “Come in.”They moved into the sitting room. Hermosa offered tea, but Bella declined, settling on the velvet couch instead.“I came early because I couldn’t sleep,” Bella admitted. “Too much racing through my mind. I haven’t stopped thinking about our last conversation... about Andre. About the evidence. Everything is finally beginning to make sense. I feel like we’re this close.” She pinched two fingers together.Hermosa didn’t respond immediately.
Chapter 17 — Strings and Threats
Hermosa’s heels clicked furiously against the marble floors as she stepped into her house, slamming the front door behind her. The early evening glow filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the living room, shadows that deepened the moment her eyes landed on Tom.He stood near the stairway, speaking lowly to one of the housemaids. His hand was resting against the wall above her head, posture casual, but Hermosa could see the tension in the maid’s shoulders and the unease in her shifting feet.“What the hell is going on here?” Hermosa’s voice cut sharply across the room like a whip.The maid turned abruptly, startled, eyes wide with panic.Hermosa narrowed her eyes. “Go. Now.” The maid hesitated, looking between Hermosa and Tom.“I said leave!” Hermosa screamed at her, her knuckles turning white.The maid didn’t need to be told twice. She scurried away like a mouse avoiding a trap, practically disappearing up the back stairs.Tom turned toward her slowly, an infu
Chapter 16 — Beneath the Mask
The restaurant was elegant, wrapped in soft golden light and the low hum of classical music. Hermosa sat in a private booth tucked into a corner, her posture tense and unreadable, her fingers tightening around the wine glass she hadn’t touched.Across from her sat Don Alaric, composed, charming, and unreadable beneath that damned mask. His presence made her stomach flutter, not in romance, but in the kind of unsettling way a puzzle made you uneasy when you knew you were missing a vital piece.He leaned forward, resting his arms casually on the table, and his voice came gently. “You’re quiet tonight, Hermosa,” he said, his lips curling into an easy smile. “But I understand. You have questions… don’t you?”Hermosa didn’t answer at first. Her eyes were fixed on his hands, strong, graceful, as they tapped lightly on the mahogany table. But it wasn’t the gesture that caught her attention.It was the tattoo.There, stretching over his right hand, was a raven.She knew that tattoo. She knew
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