DEBT OF DESIRE

BEHIND HIS APOLOGY

It was the next morning. Even though the bed was comfortable, I couldn’t sleep. I had spent the entire night thinking of a way to escape this prison.

I dragged myself out of bed, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and stepped into the shower. I sat there for a while, letting the water run over me, thinking about my mother. How was she doing? I missed her so much.

When I finally wrapped myself in a white towel, water dripping from my hair, I opened the bathroom door—only to nearly scream.

He was there.

Rafael sat in the same chair as yesterday, his sharp eyes following me like a predator.

“Hey! What are you doing here? I need privacy—is that too much to ask?” I shouted, clutching the towel tighter around me.

He didn’t reply. His gaze traveled slowly over me, holding his chin, biting his lip, like he could see straight through the towel.

“Rafael?!” I snapped, stepping toward the bed.

He looked at me for a long moment, then finally blinked, as if snapping out of a trance.

“My wife,” he murmured, rising from the chair.

I froze. My chest tightened. He came closer, and I panicked. Did he want to punish me for shouting? For daring to defy him?

But instead, he said, “I have a gift for you.”

I scoffed. “A gift? From you? For me?”

He closed the space between us until I could feel the warmth of his breath—cool and sharp, like mint. His hand rose slowly, brushing a strand of wet hair from my cheek and tucking it behind my ear.

“Can’t a husband buy his wife a gift?” he asked softly.

My heart raced. For a fleeting second, I wished he could stay this way forever—gentle, human—but I knew better. He was dangerous. Not a man to fall in love with, but one I had to run from. Still, I could use this moment. I had to.

I stepped back. “What do you want, Rafael? Yesterday you stormed out like a hurricane, and now this?”

“I wanted to apologize,” he said, his voice calm. “For the way I snatched the phone. For shouting at you.”

I didn’t know if he was sincere or just pretending. My guard stayed up as he handed me a small box. Inside was a sleek new phone and a credit card.

The phone had only one contact saved: ‘My Hot Husband.’

I raised an eyebrow. “What is this?”

His tone snapped back to ice. “You’re not blind. That’s a phone. And a credit card. You only need one contact—me. Whoever you call with that phone, I’ll hear it. Don’t try anything stupid, unless you want to see my worst side.” He pointed at me, sharp and threatening.

“Why are you pointing at me? I just asked a question. Does the credit card… have a limit?” I asked carefully.

“No. Buy whatever you want.” He turned away, dismissive. “I’m leaving today, so remember what I said. If there’s an emergency, call me. If not, stay in your room. I’ll tighten security before I leave.”

I lowered my eyes and nodded. He seemed satisfied with my silence, moving toward the door.

“Um… Rafael?” I called.

He turned, his voice sharp. “What?”

Every instinct told me to say nevermind, but I forced myself to stand tall.

“Since you’re still here… will you have breakfast with me? Outside, in the garden?”

His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering there. He scratched his head, clearly doubting my request.

“Please,” I added softly. “Just this once. You said I could walk around the house when you’re here… didn’t you?”

He studied me, then finally gave a short nod. “I said that. Fine. But are you planning to eat breakfast naked? Or will you get dressed?” His tone was mocking, but hurried.

I swallowed my pride. He didn’t like me. He didn’t care about my feelings. But I had to be strong. I couldn’t let him see me break.

He stepped out while I quickly changed into something decent. When I opened the door, he was waiting in the hall. Together, we walked through another exit that led to the garden.

As we moved, I carefully studied the cameras, tracing their blind spots and measuring the distances they covered.

This wasn’t just breakfast.

This was Phase One of my plans.