His Beautiful Chaos

The Kiss

Arianna~

I couldn’t understand why Mrs. Alvarez and Alex acted so strangely around me. They were keeping something from me, something about Don Nicholas’ past that Mrs. Alvarez didn’t want Alex to reveal it.

I understood that I was still a stranger to them. But when she found out I was the daughter of a debtor, everything would change. I would be thrown out of the mansion without a second thought.

Why did he marry me? There were whispers, rumors about Don Nicholas trading with the devil, but never anything about his wife. He had a wife… and no one knew she existed.

Now I knew, and she was missing. My mind raced—how did she disappear? Was she still in the mansion?

I couldn’t shake the unease. Standing on the bed, I took off my earrings, trying to focus on getting ready for the party. There was only an hour left, and I had to be on time.

The Alvarezes must never have known that I’d been forced into this marriage. I hurried to put my jewelry away when one of my earrings slipped from my fingers, rolling under the bed.

I looked around, but no one was there to help me. I had to do it myself. If I lose anything, Mrs. Alvarez had given me, I’d have to pay for it—and I had nothing. Determined not to add to my debts, I ran downstairs, grabbed a broom, and swept under the bed until I found the earring.

“Thank goodness,” I breathed, relief flooding me. I put the jewelry away and locked the box, ready to continue undressing, when something on the floor caught my eye. A crumpled piece of paper.

It looked like whoever cleaned the room had missed it. I bent to toss it into the trash, but something stopped me. What if it was important?

I pulled it back out, smoothing it open. It was a letter.

Dear Abuela,

How are you doing? I know you are doing great, but I am not. I am scared of the monsters. The mansion only looks pretty from the outside, but it’s not. I can’t keep...

Cold shivers ran down my spine as I read those words. Monsters? In this mansion? My heart pounded in my chest. What was happening here? Who had written this letter? What did they mean by the mansion looking pretty from the outside?

My hands trembled violently. My head spun. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, as the weight of the secret in this house began to crush me.

"Mrs. Arianna?" Anna's voice pulled me out of my daze. I hadn’t even noticed her standing at the door. She touched my arm gently, bringing me back to the present. “Are you alright?”

I nodded quickly, shoving the letter out of sight. Trust was a luxury I couldn’t afford in this house. If what the letter said was true, if Don Nicholas was truly a monster… The rumors must be real.

“I’m fine, Anna. I’ll just take a bath and get dressed.”

“As you wish, ma,” she said, laying the red gown on the bed.

I took my bath, trying to clear my mind, but the words from the letter haunted me.

When I stepped into the dress, its soft fabric clung to me in all the right ways, the off-shoulder design exposing just enough to make me feel powerful.The deep red color made my skin glow. I knew I looked stunning, but the thrill was dampened by the heavy weight of what I’d just uncovered.

Anna helped with my makeup and hair, pulling it back into a sleek ponytail. “You look very beautiful, ma,” she said with a smile.

I forced a smile in return, but my thoughts were elsewhere, swirling around the mystery of Don Nicholas.

I hid the letter under my pillow, praying no one would find it. I couldn’t stop myself from asking, even though I knew I shouldn’t.

“Anna, can I ask you a question?” I met her gaze in the mirror, seeing her tense slightly.

She hesitated, then nodded.

“Whose room is this? I mean, who lived here before me?”

Her eyes darted away from mine. “Mrs. Nicholas... sorry, I mean his ex-wife.”

"What was her name?" My pulse quickened.

“Rosario,” she whispered.

“And their relationship? Was it a love marriage... or was it forced?” I asked, wondering if she’d been trapped in this world the same way I was.

“They were happy together, that’s all I can say,” Anna replied, but she took a step back, her body language betraying her discomfort. “Can we not talk about her? No one is supposed to say anything about Miss Rosario, please.”

I nodded slowly. “I see.”

Anna called me Mrs. Arianna but referred to Rosario as Miss. That wasn’t just a slip of the tongue—she knew more than she was letting on. My stomach twisted with suspicion. Something was very wrong in this mansion.

“Why does he wear a mask?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Don Nicholas?” she blinked, as if startled by the question.

I nodded, fastening the silver earrings she had given me. They sparkled, new and pristine—different from the ones I’d worn earlier, just like everything in this place seemed different the longer I stayed.

“I don’t know. He always wears a mask. No one dares to ask him why,” Anna replied quietly.

“So the rumors are true? That he traded his face to the devil?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Anna laughed, covering her mouth. “He’s your husband. You can’t believe everything you hear.”

“I don’t know, I think the rumors might be true. What do you think?”

“I don’t know, ma’am. I barely see him, even though I work here. Don Nicholas is... just different from us, that’s all I can say.”

“He’s grumpy and impossible,” I muttered, picking up the nude lipstick and applying it. “He’s undeniably handsome, though. I just wish he had a different personality.”

“My lady…” Anna started.

“No, Anna, I’m serious. He’s breathtaking, but his attitude makes him ugly. It’s such a waste of good looks.”

“Really? Are you sure about that?” a deep voice interrupted.

I froze. That wasn’t Anna’s voice—it was deeper, richer, and all too familiar. My heart dropped.

I turned slowly and saw him, Don Nicholas, standing at the door, hands casually in his pockets, his sharp blue suit fitting him perfectly. The way it brought out his skin tone made him look even more striking than usual, like he belonged in a high-powered office, commanding attention.

“Continue with your gossip,” he said, his voice smooth but laced with amusement. “Don’t stop on my account.”

I glanced at Anna, realizing she had tried to warn me when Don Nicholas arrived. I’d thought she just wanted me to stop talking. I felt the heat rise to my face.

“I wasn’t talking about you... exactly,” I stammered, scratching the back of my head, wishing I could disappear.

“Are you a liar, Arianna?” he asked, his eyes darkening as he took a step forward.

“No,” I whispered, avoiding his gaze.

“Good.” He walked into the room, glancing around as if memories flooded back—maybe memories of Rosario. His expression hardened, and he shook his head slightly, pushing the thoughts away. “We need to go downstairs together. Are you finished with your makeup?”

“I just need to put on my necklace,” I said quickly.

Anna moved to help me, but Don Nicholas held out his hand. “Leave us.”

Anna nodded and left, leaving us alone. He walked behind me, taking the necklace from my hands. I felt him standing close, his presence overwhelming as he fastened the necklace around my neck. My breath hitched as his fingers brushed against my skin, cold and yet sending a strange warmth through me.

“I look different tonight,” I said, trying to fill the heavy silence.

“You look stunning,” he replied softly, his voice like a low growl. “But I suppose you need to impress my family and friends, don’t you?”

I rolled my eyes, even though inside, I was trembling. “I don’t care about impressing anyone.”

He chuckled, his breath warm against the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp. “Done. Shall we go?”

I stood up, trying to shake off the tension, and began walking toward the door, my pulse still racing from his touch.

“Wait, Arianna. Your zip is down,” he called out, just as I was about to step into the hallway.

My heart skipped a beat. I looked around, realizing no one else was there, but my back felt exposed. Was he playing a trick on me? I reached for the zipper, but it was stuck. I needed help, but Anna was nowhere to be found.

“Can you call Anna—" I started to ask, but I stopped when I felt his presence behind me again, his fingers brushing lightly against my bare skin.

My breath caught in my throat. His touch was electric, sending shivers down my spine. My heart pounded as his fingers worked the zipper, the tension between us palpable, almost unbearable. The butterflies in my stomach swirled despite my attempts to ignore them.

“Done, my wife,” he whispered in my ear, his voice a mix of control and something else, something dangerous.

I spun around, my cheeks burning. “Thank you.”

His lips curled into a slow, teasing smile. “It’s nothing. I’m just glad I got to help you put on your dress…” His eyes lingered on mine, dark and full of promises. “Because I’ll be the one taking it off tonight.”

He kissed my cheek, soft but deliberate, then walked past me, leaving me standing there, speechless, my heart pounding in my chest.

Did that just happen? Had he really kissed me? Was I imagining the whole thing?

Who was this man with so many sides to him? And why, all of a sudden, did I feel like I was seeing a completely different part of him—or was this all just an illusion?