fiction
Rafael Moretti refused to look at any woman’s face, because he said beauty had lied to him once before. But when the white sheet was finally removed from the woman he chose, the millionaire froze as if the past had walked into the room breathing 😨 / Chapter 6 / 10

Chapter 6 - Fractured Glass

Rafael’s hand tightened on Leila’s waist, the muscles in his forearm turning to iron. Before he could unleash the fury building behind his eyes, Leila placed her hand gently over his fist. Her touch grounded him instantly.

Leila turned to face Valeria dead-on, her dark eyes flashing with absolute authority.

"Strays only return when they realize the house belongs to them, Valeria," Leila said, her voice carrying clearly across the silent circle of elites. "And trust me—I've spent the last three years auditing every single room in this house. I know where the foundation is rotten."

Valeria’s polite facade finally shattered. Her face drained of color, leaving her looking every bit her age under the chandeliers. "You arrogant little—"

"Enough," Rafael cut in, his voice a low, rumbling earthquake that silenced every whisper within a ten-foot radius. He looked down at his aunt with utter disdain. "The party is over, Valeria. My wife and I have private matters to attend to."

Without waiting for a response, Rafael turned on his heel, guiding Leila away from the stunned crowd and straight toward the private exit leading down to the lake docks.

The cool night air hit them like a splash of cold water. Below the stone dock, dark waves lapped rhythmically against the pylons. Leila let out a long, shaky breath, her shoulders finally dropping an inch.

"You handled her like a queen," Rafael said softly, stopping near the edge of the water. He reached up, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed the scar on her thumb. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Leila whispered, looking up into his striking blue eyes. The harshness of the boardroom melted away, leaving behind the raw, bruised vulnerability they had both tried so hard to bury. "I just... I spent so many nights imagining what it would feel like to stand beside you again. And now that I am... it feels like walking on glass."

Rafael captured her face in both hands, his thumbs tracing her cheekbones. "Walk on glass with me, then. We'll shatter every single piece together."

He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. It wasn't a gentle kiss; it was a desperate, hungry collision of two souls who had clawed their way back from the grave. For the first time in three years, the locked room in Rafael’s heart was thrown wide open.

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But high above them, from the balcony of the grand pavilion, a pair of cold binoculars tracked their every movement. Valeria lowered the glasses, her hand shaking with pure, unadulterated hatred as she dialed a private, encrypted number on her phone.

"It's time," Valeria whispered into the receiver. "Burn it all down."

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