CHAPTER 10: A PRICE OF OPPORTUNITY
636 Words
I stood there, caught between Salvador’s outstretched hand and Andrew’s warning gaze.
One choice meant returning to the lavish world Salvador was offering—one filled with opportunity, power, and the promise of success.
The other meant stepping away from it all and trusting Andrew, even when he refused to give me all the answers.
A week ago, the decision would have been easy.
But now?
Now, I am not so sure.
Crossing the Line
I inhaled slowly, steeling myself.
Then I turned to Salvador and forced a polite smile.
“I think I’ve had enough for one night,” I said.
Salvador’s smile didn’t waver, but something shifted in his eyes—something calculating.
“Of course,” he said smoothly. “You must be exhausted." Allow me to have my driver take you home.”
Before I could respond, Andrew stepped forward.
“She’s already got a ride,” he said flatly.
Salvador’s gaze flicked towards him.
A silent battle waged between them—one I wasn’t meant to be a part of, yet somehow was.
Finally, Salvador sighed and turned back to me.
“I suppose I’ll have to reschedule our plans,” he said, reaching out to brush a stray curl from my face.
I flinched before I could stop myself.
His lips twitched at my reaction.
“Goodnight, Paloma.”
I forced myself to nod before turning away, walking with Andrew toward his car.
The second we were inside, I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
Andrew gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he muttered.
I bristled. “Excuse me?”
He turned to me, his gaze sharp.
“I told you not to come here. And you did anyway. Do you have any idea what you just walked into?”
I crossed my arms. “No, Andrew, I don’t. Because instead of telling me, you just keep throwing cryptic warnings at me like I’m supposed to magically understand.”
His jaw clenched.
“I told you Salvador wasn’t safe.”
“And I heard you. But I’m not a child—I can make my own decisions.”
Andrew exhaled harshly, raking a hand through his hair. “You don’t get it. Salvador doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
A chill ran down my spine.
I thought of the way Salvador had looked at me. The way he touched my wrist inside the club. The way people had already started treating me like I belonged to him.
My stomach turned.
Andrew was right.
I had stepped into something I didn’t understand.
And now, I wasn’t sure if I could step back out.
The Offer
The next morning, I woke to a knock on my door.
I groggily pulled on a robe and opened it—only to find a man in a black suit standing on my doorstep.
“Miss Paloma?”
I hesitated. “Yes?”
He handed me a sleek, black envelope.
“From Mr. Torres.”
Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, disappearing into a black SUV parked across the street.
Heart pounding, I closed the door and tore the envelope open.
Inside was a contract.
My name was printed at the top, followed by a staggering figure—one that made my breath catch in my throat.
Salvador wasn’t just offering me an opportunity.
He was offering me everything.
A fully funded fashion line. A personal atelier. Resources beyond my wildest dreams.
And in return?
My loyalty.
My partnership.
My submission.
I gripped the paper tightly.
Salvador wasn’t waiting for me to come to him.
He was claiming me.
I had a choice.
But for the first time…
I wondered if I had already made it.
- Writer
