Chapter 33
The walk to the gym felt longer than it should have.
Every step I took down the corridor carried a weight I couldn't explain—like the walls themselves were watching me, waiting for me to make a mistake. My thoughts were loud in my head, louder than my breathing.
Fernando's voice kept replaying. Play the spy, he'd said.
I swallowed hard and tightened my fingers around the edge of my sleeve as I walked. The estate was too quiet today. Even the usual distant sounds of movement felt muted, like the house itself was holding its breath.
I hated that I was here. But I needed answers. Or at least… something that felt like control. The gym doors were ahead now. Half-open. That alone made me pause. I frowned slightly. The doors were never left open. I stepped closer anyway. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt it.
Not just the heat from inside. But something else. Presence. Heavy. Controlled. Watching. My body slowed instinctively, but I didn't understand why yet. Then I heard it.
A small sound. Quick footsteps.
"Serena!" a familiar voice called from a distance.
Before I could fully process it, a small blur rushed out from the side of the gym. Too fast. Too close.
Serena.
She ran straight toward the open space near the mats, laughing softly like she always did when she thought she was being sneaky. Her tiny feet slipped slightly on the polished floor.
My breath caught.
"Serena. Wait!"
It happened in seconds. Her foot missed the edge. Her body tilted forward. No time. Instinct took over before thought could even form. I moved fast.
I crossed the distance and caught her before she hit the ground.
Her small body collided into my arms instead, and I dropped slightly with the impact, steadying her weight with both hands.
Her heart was racing.
Mine too, but for different reasons. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then she looked up at me and smiled.
"Hi," she said softly, like nothing had just almost happened.
My grip loosened immediately, but I didn't let go fully.
"Hey, easy…" I whispered, catching my breath. "I've got you. Be careful next time, okay?"
She nodded and her hands grabbed my sleeves tightly like she was confirming I was real.
"I missed you," she said.
Something inside me shifted painfully at the simplicity of it.
"I missed you too, baby girl," I said.
Her eyes brightened instantly, but there was something softer underneath it too. Confusion. Hurt.
"Why don't you come anymore?" she asked.
That question hit harder than I expected. I hesitated.
My gaze flickered briefly past her—into the gym.
That was when I felt it again. The presence. Still there. Still watching. I didn't turn yet. Not fully. I brushed Serena's hair gently instead.
"Your daddy has some things he needs to sort out," I said carefully.
She frowned slightly.
"Grown-up stuff?"
A small breath escaped me.
"Yeah," I said softly. "Grown-up stuff."
She seemed to accept that, even if she didn't fully understand it. Then suddenly her face lit up again like children always do when they move on too quickly.
"Guess what happened in school!"
Despite everything tightening inside me, I smiled faintly.
"What happened?"
She started talking fast—about a boy who tried to carry all his books at once and fell in front of the teacher's table. Her hands moved dramatically as she told it, reenacting the fall with so much seriousness that it was impossible not to laugh.
And I did.
For the first time in days, I actually laughed. Not because anything was funny in my life. But because she was. And for a second, it felt normal. Safe. Behind her, I finally noticed movement.
Slow. Controlled. Deliberate.
My laughter faded instantly. I turned my head slightly. And that was when I saw him.
Mr Montoya.
He was already there. Not entering. Not arriving. Already present.
He stood near the inner section of the gym like he had been there the entire time I walked in. No rush. No surprise. Just stillness.
His shirt was off.
Sweat traced lightly along his skin, catching faint light from the overhead fixtures. His posture wasn't relaxed, but it wasn't tense either.
It was controlled. Like everything about him always was. But his eyes? His eyes were on me. Not Serena. Me. I felt something shift in my chest immediately.
Serena tugged my hand again, breaking the moment slightly.
"Daddy!" she called out happily.
That snapped my attention further. Mr Montoya didn't move at first. He only spoke.
"Serena." Just her name.
Low. Calm. But it carried through the entire space like it owned it. Serena turned instantly and ran toward him. I stepped back slowly without meaning to. And now I saw it properly. He had been watching. The entire time. My throat tightened slightly.
Serena reached him and hugged his leg briefly before he crouched slightly to her level, brushing her hair back with a rare softness I hadn't seen from him in a long time.
"You're supposed to be with Doña Esperanza," he said quietly.
Serena grinned.
"I saw her already!"
He exhaled lightly—almost amused—but his eyes shifted again.
Back to me. And stayed there. I felt it like pressure. Not physical. Worse. Awareness. Like I had been placed under a microscope without consent. Then another door opened. The side entrance. The sound cut through the silence.
I turned slightly.
Doña Esperanza stepped in first, composed as always, followed by Carlitos.
My posture adjusted automatically.
"Doña Esperanza," I greeted immediately. "Good afternoon."
She nodded politely, her eyes briefly scanning me in a way that felt… too knowing.
"Alice," she replied gently.
Carlitos followed behind her. He didn't smile. Not exactly.
But his eyes flickered. Something brief. Controlled. Almost warm before it disappeared again under his usual restraint. He gave a small nod.
"Hello," he greeted.
No extra words. No unnecessary emotion. Just like his father.
"Hello Carlitos, how have you been?," I asked. He smiled and said, "Very fine."
Mr Montoya was still watching.
Not the children now. Me.
Doña Esperanza gestured gently.
"Serena, cariño, come with me. Let's give your father a moment."
Serena hesitated only slightly before nodding. She ran back to me quickly and hugged my waist.
"I'm happy you came," she whispered. My chest tightened again.
"I'm glad I saw you," I whispered back. She pulled away and waved. I waved back.
Carlitos followed Doña Esperanza without looking back. But I noticed it. Just before he turned. His gaze lingered on me for half a second longer than necessary.
Then they were gone. The gym doors closed softly behind them. Silence returned. But it wasn't empty. It was heavy. Different.
When I turned back fully, Alex was already standing. Closer now. Not enough to feel crowded. But enough to feel contained. His voice came first. Calm. Measured.
"You move freely when you're not supposed to."
I swallowed once.
"I wasn't trying to—"
"You left your assigned area," he continued. No interruption. No rise in tone. Just fact after fact. Like he was building something. I straightened slightly.
"I was looking for Ashley."
A pause.
His eyes didn't leave mine.
"You were seen leaving the main house without authorization," he said quietly.
My fingers curled slightly.
"That's because I needed—"
"You were also seen in the servants' quarters."
Silence dropped after that. I didn't respond immediately. Because now I understood. This wasn't a question.
It was a file being read out loud.
He already knew.
Or at least… he thought he did.
I lifted my chin slightly.
"I'm not a prisoner," I said carefully.
His gaze shifted slightly.
Just enough to make me realize he found that interesting.
"No," he said slowly. "You're not."
The pause that followed was worse than anything before it.
Because it didn't feel like agreement. It felt like evaluation. He stepped slightly to the side. Not closer. Just enough to circle the air between us. And I hated that I noticed it.
"You interact easily with my daughter," he said.
My throat tightened slightly.
"That's because she's a child."
His eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"Is that the only reason?," he questioned.
Something in me bristled immediately.
"I don't understand what you're implying," I replied.
Another pause.
"You understand more than you admit." he said, quieter this time.
My heartbeat slowed. Not from calm. From warning.
Because the way he said it wasn't accusation. It was certainty forming. And I felt it then. This wasn't about Serena anymore. It wasn't even about the gym. It was about me. Alex took one step forward Just one. And the air changed with it.
"Tell me something," he said.
My mouth went dry slightly. I didn't answer. His eyes held mine. Sharp now. Focused.
"Why were those men in my house two nights ago… looking for you?," he asked.
The words landed slowly.
Deliberately.
And for the first time since I walked into this room.
I couldn't breathe properly.