The Price Of His Desire

The Will

If you are wondering what happened after Alfonso caught Paulo and me in that compromising situation, then you are about to be surprised, because his reaction shocked me too.

He did not say a single word when he saw us. He simply walked straight upstairs. Before he disappeared I caught his expression. His eyes looked dark and full of rage mixed with something I could not clearly understand.

His mother did not bother to hide her reaction. She did not need to speak English for me to know what she was thinking. Her expression said it all before she turned and walked out.

Paulo looked completely unbothered.

“Thank you,” I whispered, forcing a small smirk even while my heart was trembling.

I climbed the stairs slowly, limping a little because of my ankle. With every step my heart beat faster. When I reached his door I opened it slowly, prepared for coldness, maybe even worse.

The room was dark. I could hear the shower running. I sighed in relief, hurried to my side of the bed and tucked myself in as if I was already asleep. The shower stopped. I heard the glass slide open. Footsteps moved closer.

I peeked slightly but the room was too dark for him to notice.

He walked into the closet and stayed there for a while. Then the mattress shifted beside me. His scent filled the space around me. My body tensed. I waited for him to speak. I waited for accusations. I expected coldness or anger.

But he said nothing.

Absolute silence.

The silence felt heavier than any fight would have. After a while I heard him snoring softly. That was when I finally drifted off too.

The next morning Alfonso sat with his family in the living room as the lawyer finalized the will their father left behind. Present were Alfonso, his mother, Paulo, their grandmother, the uncles with their wives and children. Now I understood why Alfonso did not react yesterday. He already knew this day was coming. His energy looked colder than usual.

I avoided him all morning. I sat far from the family with Sarah. I could still hear everything clearly as Sarah translated for me. The lawyer reminded them that this reading was the final official reading of the will.

“He is about to read the last part,” Sarah whispered.

She leaned closer to me.

“Did you know Alfonso can only receive his share of the assets if he meets his father’s condition to marry and settle down?” she said quietly.

My mouth parted slowly.

This was why he married me. This was the whole reason behind the contract.

The lawyer finished the final lines. The shock on the faces around the room told me something was wrong.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Alfonso got only fifteen percent of the shares. His father left everything else to Paulo,” Sarah said.

I stared at her, stunned. Even without knowing much about their issues, giving the largest portion to the illegitimate son was unexpected.

The family started whispering. Alfonso sat quietly, his expression unreadable. His mother stormed out angrily with the lawyer, her voice raised in the hallway.

Paulo got up. The family hugged him one by one. When he approached Alfonso they simply stood in front of each other. Alfonso’s jaw tightened. His hands slowly curled into fists. Everyone around them watched closely, waiting for him to explode.

Alfonso leaned in and said something quietly into Paulo’s ear. Paulo’s face changed instantly. His eyes darkened. Whatever Alfonso whispered clearly hit him deeply.

Alfonso straightened, turned away and walked out. Moments later the sound of a car engine echoed outside. He had left without saying anything to anyone.

“What do you think will happen now?” I finally asked Sarah when we returned to his room.

“He is most likely going to sell his shares and resign from the family business,” she answered.

I nodded. That was exactly what I thought too.

“That means he is going to lose everything. His billionaire status?” I asked.

Sarah shook her head.

“He is self made. Even without his father’s shares nothing will change. I think he is upset because he did not win. He likes being in control,” she said.

The more time I spend here the more I understand the type of man Alfonso really is. This family is full of secrets. Every day something new shocks me.

And I do not know how long I can survive this pressure before the truth about our fake marriage comes out.

Late into the night I sat on the couch in our room talking to Collins. I asked him why Aria was ignoring my calls, what might be happening. That was when he told me she had left the city.

Now I was curious and worried at the same time. What could she be up to now.

The door creaked open.

Alfonso walked in.

He looked drained. Probably drunk. He walked toward me and I quickly placed my phone down and stood up.

He stopped only an inch away from me. He smelled strongly of alcohol.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.

“f**k,” he muttered, cursing under his breath again and again.

“How dare you disrespect me last night. Why were you with him,” he demanded.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me hard to his chest. I tried to push back but he would not let go.

“I never want to see you anywhere near him again. He took everything from me. He always takes everything from me,” he said, his voice full of anger and pain.

This was the first time I had seen him show any type of real hurt. He looked vulnerable. I could hear it in his voice.

“Maybe you should sit down first,” I said softly. He finally loosened his grip and I guided him to sit on the edge of the bed. He still held on to me. Suddenly he pulled both of us backward and we fell onto the mattress.

I landed on top of him.

I could feel his heartbeat.

The tension between us grew because of how close we were. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, holding me firmly against him.

“Do not leave me,” he whispered.

Even though we had kissed before, this was the first time I had ever been this close. Our bodies pressed together. The moment felt dangerously intimate. I could feel his heartbeat, his breath, his scent even through the alcohol. Jolts of electricity shot through my entire body. It felt good being that close to him. It felt good knowing he did not want to let go.

He was in a vulnerable state. He needed safety.

And in that moment I was the one giving it to him.