Loving A Vampire Billionaire

Chapter 17

The gentle clink of glass on wood was the only sound in the room as Mara set down the bottle of wine, a deep ruby-red vintage, on the coffee table. A small, golden-hued lamp cast a warm glow over the cozy living room, illuminating the organized stacks of books and the colorful woven blankets that decorated Mara’s tiny house. The place was small, but every inch of it was curated, cozy, and filled with warmth—just like Mara herself.

Amaya sat on the worn but comfortable couch, her fingers idly tracing the rim of her own wine glass as she watched Mara pour. They had always made a habit of getting together over a sip of wine, though neither of them were big drinkers. It was more about the ritual of it—the act of winding down, sharing thoughts, and simply being in each other’s presence.

Mara settled into the armchair across from Amaya and passed her a filled glass. “Cheers to an uneventful week,” she said with a smile, raising her glass slightly before taking a small sip.

Amaya returned the smile, though there was something off about it. The usual light in her eyes was missing, replaced by a subtle tension in her expression. Mara noticed it immediately—she always did. "What's on your mind?" Mara asked softly.

Amaya sighed, her hand wrapping tighter around the stem of her glass. "It’s Judy," she began, her voice quieter than usual. "She’s getting out of the hospital soon."

Mara’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That’s great news! I thought she was going to be in there for at least another month.” Judy, Amaya’s younger sister, had been hospitalized because of acute leukemia. Mara had visited her a couple of times, but the last update she had heard was that Judy’s recovery would be a long one.

“It is great news,” Amaya agreed, though her tone was heavy, as though there was more to the story. She took a small sip of wine, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "She's going to be alright... physically, at least. The doctors are confident she'll make a full recovery. But there's something else."

Mara leaned forward slightly, her brow furrowing in concern. "What is it? Is she... okay emotionally? Mentally?"

Amaya shook her head. "No, it's not that. She’s doing as well as she can be, all things considered. It’s the hospital bills, Mara. They’ve been piling up for months, and I didn’t know how I was going to manage them. But..." She hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting to her glass as if it held the courage she needed to say the next part. "But someone paid them. All of them."

Mara blinked, her confusion evident. "What? All of them? Who?" Her mind raced. The bills were exorbitant—far more than Amaya or her family could have ever afforded, especially with the extended stay Judy had required.

Amaya nodded, still looking a little dazed by the news herself. "Yeah, someone paid them off in full."

"Who?" Mara asked again, her voice sharper with curiosity. "It was Don Francisco, wasn’t it?"

Amaya shook her head. "No. It wasn’t him. He hasn’t been in the picture for a while now, not since everything that happened."

Mara’s confusion deepened. If it wasn’t Don Francisco, the wealthy businessman who had once been involved with Amaya, then who could possibly have stepped in to cover such a massive expense?

“It was…” Amaya hesitated, as if struggling to believe the words herself. “It was the CEO of F. Newspapers and Magazines.”

Mara stared at her friend, her glass frozen halfway to her lips. "Who?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Mr. Forteros,” Amaya said quietly.

The effect of those words was immediate. Mara’s eyes widened in pure shock, and she inhaled sharply, nearly choking on the sip of wine she’d just taken. She coughed, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to compose herself, but the disbelief was clear on her face.

“Mr. Forteros? You mean the billionaire? The media tycoon?” Mara’s voice was incredulous. She set her wine glass down on the table, her hand shaking slightly from the revelation. “Amaya, are you telling me that Knight Forteros paid your sister’s hospital bills?”

Amaya nodded, her confusion mirroring Mara’s. "Yes. I got a call from the hospital this morning. They said everything had been taken care of. When I asked who did it, they said it was him. The CEO of F. Newspapers and Magazines. Mr. Forteros."

Mara was still reeling. She knew of Knight Forteros, of course. Everyone did. He was one of the most powerful men in the country—a self-made billionaire who had built an empire out of nothing. He was handsome, commanding, and known for his ruthless business tactics. He was also known to be extremely private, rarely appearing in the media unless it was on his own terms.

“But... why?” Mara asked, still trying to make sense of it all. “Why would someone like him—someone like Forteros—get involved in this? You don’t even know him, do you?”

Amaya shook her head again. “No. I only met him at the Roadside Club once.”

Mara sat back in her chair, her mind racing. “That doesn’t sound like him at all. He’s not the type of man to do things like this out of the goodness of his heart. He’s... he’s calculated. Everything he does is for a reason.”

Amaya raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You’ve never mentioned him before. How do you know so much about him?”

Mara hesitated for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line as she gathered her thoughts. “I’ve... I’ve read a lot about him. He’s fascinating in a way. You can’t deny that he’s built something incredible with his company, but he’s also known for being... well, let’s just say he’s a man of his word.”

Amaya frowned, confused. “A man of his word? What are you talking about?”

Mara sighed, sitting forward in her chair again, her expression serious. “Knight Forteros doesn’t make promises lightly. When he says he’s going to do something, he does it. And when he says he’s going to destroy something, you better believe it’s already as good as gone. That’s what I mean when I say he’s a reasonable man.”

Amaya stared at her friend, trying to process what she was hearing. “So, you’re saying... what? That he’s dangerous?”

Mara shook her head slowly. “No, not dangerous. Not in the way you’re thinking, at least. He’s... methodical. Controlled. He doesn’t do anything without a reason. So, if he’s stepped in to help you and Judy, it’s because he has a reason for doing so. He’s not the kind of man to act on a whim.”

Amaya felt a chill run down her spine. The idea that someone like Forteros would involve himself in her life, even indirectly, was unsettling. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of relief that Judy’s medical expenses were no longer a burden hanging over her head.

“I don’t know what to make of this, well… maybe I'll do the usual things.” Amaya admitted, running a hand through her hair in frustration. “I’m grateful, of course, but... why? What reason could he possibly have for helping us?”

Mara didn’t have an answer to that, and for a long moment, the room was filled with a tense silence as the two women sat there, lost in their own thoughts. The soft glow of the lamp cast long shadows across the walls, and the bottle of wine sat untouched between them.

Finally, Mara broke the silence, her voice soft but firm. “Whatever his reason, Amaya, you need to be careful. If Forteros is involved in your life now, even tangentially, you need to be prepared for... well, anything. He’s not a man who does favors without expecting something in return.”

Amaya looked up at her friend, her heart pounding in her chest. “But what could he possibly want from me? I’m nobody. I don’t have anything to offer him except for my body.”

Mara didn’t respond right away. She simply stared into her wine glass, her mind clearly turning over the possibilities. After a long moment, she looked up, her eyes filled with an unsettling mix of concern and uncertainty.

“I don’t know,” Mara admitted. “But whatever it is, you’ll find out soon enough. Men like Forteros don’t stay in the background for long.”