The Price Of His Desire

The Dinner

“I’m so sorry for my behavior last night, Diana. I wish I could erase what you saw yesterday,” Paulo said as we grabbed lunch after I had come in to check on Ada. Alfonso had held back with everything he had to prevent me from going alone.

Paulo explained that Ada was responding to treatment, but she had looked pale and suddenly appeared anaemic two days ago, so they had rushed her to the hospital. Then he discovered she wasn’t his daughter.

“Your emotions are valid. It would break me if I ever found out I had been lied to,” I told him.

“You probably thought I was crazy, didn’t you?” he said with an amused look.

“A little, just a little,” I replied, and we both laughed.

I studied him carefully. This was the first time I had seen him up close. He looked hurt, his eyes still red as if he hadn’t slept. Only God knew the pain he was going through. He was left with so many questions, but the person who could give him answers was gone.

“Could I maybe ask you something? It might sound personal,” I started. He raised a brow, a warm smile spreading across his face, and nodded.

“You don’t seem to really get along with your brother. Last night… what transpired, it was intense. I think it’s a little too much, especially coming from brothers,” I said.

His eyes softened. He took a sip of his drink. “It wasn’t always like this, but a lot happened. I wouldn’t want to bother you with it,” he said.

I hummed and nodded.

“Georgina?” I asked softly, careful not to be intrusive.

I expected he wouldn’t answer, but he surprised me by sharing a little about her.

“With everything that has happened, I’m beginning to question if what we shared was ever real,” he said, his voice heavy with pain.

He quickly brushed it off and changed the topic to me. Our conversation eased some of the tension, and the more we talked, the more I observed him. He was nothing like Alfonso. Paulo was warm and expressive, open with his emotions and easy to read. Alfonso, on the other hand, was cold and dismissive, a man who hid every feeling behind silence and control.

Paulo walked me to my car. We said our goodbyes, and I headed home to get ready for dinner with Alfonso. The thought made my stomach tingle uncontrollably. I hoped this dinner would finally define whatever was happening between us. He had been giving me so much attention and affection lately, yet the feeling that something bad might happen lingered at the back of my mind. I did not want to be disappointed.

Sarah was away on a trip, so it was just me and the stylist trying out outfits. Alfonso called to tell me he was on his way.

I dressed in a red satin one-shoulder dress, slipping into silver heels and pairing them with diamond earrings. My hair was styled in soft waves, cascading over my shoulder.

I walked down the stairs and saw Alfonso waiting, looking impossibly good as always. For a moment, it felt like déjà vu, just like the night before the gala that had ended in chaos. My stomach twisted at the memory, afraid that another perfect night could crumble again.

His eyes brightened the moment he saw me. He stepped forward, his hand sliding around my waist as he pulled me in and kissed my cheek. My skin warmed instantly.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered against my ear. I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling the heat of his breath on my skin.

“Thank you. You look extremely good,” I said softly. Then I leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. It was the first time I had ever initiated a kiss with him. The way his eyes lingered on mine afterward told me everything.

The night already felt like it was beginning in the best possible way.

“You really reserved the entire restaurant just for us, huh?” I said playfully as he pulled out my chair. He hummed in response before taking his seat across from me.

“I want tonight to be just for us,” he said.

“I’m not even surprised. This is the most Alfonso thing you could ever do,” I replied. My words drew a smile to his face, the kind that softened his features in a way I rarely saw.

The waiters approached to take our orders. As they spoke, my eyes drifted around the room, soaking in the luxury that surrounded me. It hit me how drastically my life had changed in just a few months. And the man responsible for this whirlwind sat right across from me. Everything about him scared me and intrigued me at the same time.

How did we go from a contract meant to control every part of my life to this… whatever this was? He had become the complete opposite of the man I first met. What are you doing to me, Alfonso? I wondered silently.

He watched me intently as I took bites of my food. We hadn’t really talked much. It was difficult to have a conversation with him because I could never predict his reactions. Still, I felt the urge to break the silence.

“Are you just going to stare at me all night?” I asked, a small smile playing on my lips.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. “I am not really good at this, Diana,” he admitted, and I nodded.

“I can see that. I will teach you then,” I said, teasing lightly. He raised a brow at me, curious.

“I will make it easier for you. I can tell you a little about myself, if you would care to listen.”

He froze, his movements still as he set his fork down. His eyes lifted to mine, darker and more serious than before.

“I brought you here because I want to get to know you,” he said quietly.

For some strange reason, I loved how he struggled with words as he tried to get to know me. It was written all over his face how new this was for him. We got into the conversation, and I shared a little about myself. His lips curved into an almost-laugh when I joked about some of my experiences in high school.

Alfonso took turns sharing very little about himself. He never mentioned his father once. He basically told me he had a rough childhood, didn’t have the best time in high school, and eventually moved to England with his mother. It was mostly bits of what Sarah had already told me.

As he spoke, I felt a little uneasy. I turned and glanced behind the reception. There were eyes on me—so sour and piercing I could feel them, but I couldn’t see whose they were.

Alfonso called the waitress over to serve us more drinks. As she poured the wine, she somehow managed to spill it on my dress. She apologized, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been intentional. I gave her a sharp look and excused myself to the washroom.

In the washroom, I cleaned the stain on my dress and freshened up a bit. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smiled as the memory of the night with Alfonso replayed in my head. The tension of what might happen after tonight, after the night at the hotel, made my stomach twist.

Just then, I heard the door open. A woman, dressed in black with bright red lipstick and heels clicking against the floor, stood beside me. A knot immediately formed in my stomach. No one was supposed to be here.

I watch her in the mirror as she takes out some wipes and a red lipstick from her bag, fixing herself while humming softly. I tense up a little when she keeps stealing quick glances at me.

Could this be the moment where I brace myself for the worst, just as I’d perceived? The knot in my stomach tightened, the atmosphere shifted, and I felt it immediately. Something was off.

“Don’t overthink it too much. I’m not here to steal your date,” the woman said. My eyes widened at her words.

I didn’t reply. I was about to walk out when she called again. “Diana.” My heart stopped. How did she know my name?

“Tell Alfonso that I said hi,” she added.

I turned to look at her face. A mischievous smirk was plastered across her features.

“How do you know who I am? Who are you?” I asked, my voice shaky.

She stepped a little closer and smiled. “I know more about you than you think.”

She turned and walked toward the door. Just as she opened it, she looked back and said, “Just in case your husband asks for my name, tell him it’s me… Georgina.”

She disappeared.

My heart thudded violently in my chest. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. What? How? My mind raced with thoughts. That name… I knew who bore it. That person was supposed to be dead.