Chapter 45

The next day, when I woke up in the late morning, I felt confused for the first few minutes. As the memories started pouring back in, I felt a surge of anxiety rise through me. It was time to put my best acting skills in place. I was to reach out to Alejandro once I got the diamonds so we could meet and I could give them to him. The idea that I would get to see him again filled me with joy and excitement.

Alejandro and I had never really discussed what we were or what we would be—if anything—once he had the diamonds. I figured he would stay with Elena, get his revenge, and move on with his life, without me in the picture. But part of me hoped he would ask me to be with him. He'd alluded to that a couple of times, and he had saved my life, after all. Surely he cared for me. But did he? Or was that just guilt he felt that he had put an innocent life in danger in his quest for vengeance? Would he break my heart?

I impatiently looked for something to wear in my closet, still lost in my thoughts. Alejandro could never be mine. Our lives were on two different tracks. It just wouldn't work out.

But I also couldn't ignore the memories of the way he held me, the way he touched me, calling me "mi ni?a." In those moments, I could have sworn…

The idea of being with him scared me, though, with the way I felt for him. Having another person's will take over me and absorb me wasn't part of my plan. That was why I had dated George. He felt safe because he didn't cause a storm to rise up inside of me with just one look. The fact that I didn't love him meant he had no control over me. But I would give my life for Alejandro.

I put on a pair of dark-blue jeans and a simple pink t-shirt. I finally found the courage to go downstairs, joining Richard in the dining room for breakfast. I was hoping that he would be absent, but there he was, wearing jeans and a gray dress shirt, reading the newspaper while he enjoyed his coffee, not a frown of worry on his face.

"Hello," I said as I grabbed my usual chair to his right.

"Hi! You're awake! Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thanks."

"I'm glad. How do you feel? George said you seemed…distant yesterday."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sorry. Did he expect smiles and giggles?"

"I guess that was a bit…insensitive. I'm sorry. I imagine it wasn't the most pleasant time for you for these past few months."

"No, it wasn't," I responded between my teeth, avoiding his gaze as much as I could. "Why did you take so long to come for me?" I asked, honestly hurt at his lack of concern for me.

"It wasn't like that," he explained. "These people, these criminals, they wanted everything. They made the negotiations for your safety hard, Amelia. You can ask George. We tried everything to get you here. You should be thankful that I risked my life and paid a large sum for your return."

I wanted to punch him, but instead, I focused on forcing myself to eat the lovely fruit bowl Martha had put there for me, even if the fruit tasted sour in my mouth.

"I know you tried your best,"

I lied. I needed him to think I was as stupid as before. It wouldn't be wise for him to think that I was mad. I needed his full trust, and I frankly wondered if he had doubts about how my abduction really was, considering I had spent a few months away. After all, I came home with no bruises, showered, and in clean clothes.

"They would have hurt me if it wasn't for you making sure that I was in one piece. I think they knew you would make them pay if they touched me or hurt me. Thank you, Richard. I won"t forget what you did for me, that you gave your money away to save my life," I said, angry tears shining in my eyes.

"You are welcome, child," he said, grabbing my hand, a satisfied smile on his face.

I resisted the urge to pull my hand away. Instead, I gave him the most thankful and loving smile I could muster. I wanted to yell, "Murderer!" at him, but that wouldn't help.

"Hey, honey," a voice said from behind me.

When I turned around, George was there with Iris, Chloe, and Keisha. Tears ran down my face as I rushed into the arms of my friends. It felt so good to wrap my arms around them. I reluctantly left their embrace to hug George, who kissed me.

"I am so happy you are okay! I was worried sick. I can't believe those savages kept you for so long!" said Iris in her usual high-pitched voice, wiping tears of happiness off her face.

"I can"t believe you were gone for so long," whispered Chloe, the strongest of us, unable to stop the tears from rolling down her face.

Keisha hugged me again in silence, her shoulders shaking. I wanted to grab them by the hands, go to my room, and tell them everything, but that might put their lives in danger, and that would force me to admit out loud that meeting Alejandro had changed everything for me.

"I will be working from my office," said Richard as he got up. "Oh, I almost forgot, Amelia, on Friday, I am hosting a small dinner here to celebrate your return."

"That's tomorrow!" I screamed, horrified at his insensitivity.

"Yes, but I can't really cancel. I have a very important investor coming, so it"s two for one."

I wanted to scream, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me. Iris looked at Richard, her mouth open, Chloe muttered something under her breath, and Keisha shook her head, shocked by his indifference. George, on the other hand, was avoiding my gaze, refusing to be on my side—as usual.

"Don't you think it's way too early for that, Richard? I haven't even been home for a day!"

"I know, but I"ve had this one on the books for months, and this guy is hard to pin down. I know it's very soon, but the sooner you get back to your normal life, the better. It will do you good to socialize and see other people. And it will be a very small family affair, really," he explained as he walked out of the room under my angry stare and Chloe's slit eyes.

"What a fucking asshole," said Chloe once he was out of sight.

"Every time I try to see the good in the guy, he disappoints."

"Some people are just fucking bad, Iris. I have been telling you this. That fucking guy wasn't trying to get her. I hired an investigator, you know," said Chloe, grabbing my hand. "But wherever those fuckers had you, it was impossible. Not a trace."

"And now this jackass wants to throw a party. That is so ridiculous," said Keisha, fuming.

"Well, in his defense, this is important for the development of the company—"

George stopped talking after I glared at him, flames in my eyes. But as I thought more on it, a dinner was just the right distraction I needed to sneak into Richard's office and steal the diamonds.

Iris, Chloe, Keisha, and George stayed with me for a couple hours. I had to feign interest in whatever story George was telling, but having my friends there made things a lot more bearable. Their presence also was delaying further what promised to be a very uncomfortable conversation between me and George.

It was three in the afternoon when my guests left and gave me some space. I needed to put some order in my life and distract myself from the fact that this highly coveted investor was probably Alejandro.

I turned on my laptop and started going through my emails. I only cared about reaching out to the hotel in New York. I was supposed to have started working with them weeks ago. They had heard about my kidnapping from what I could tell by the emails. I decided to call Clyde, who was the person who had hired me. It was a very pleasant call and served as practice for what I would tell people when they asked how I was and about what I had been through.

Clyde told me to take as many weeks as I needed; the job was still mine if I still wanted it. He understood I needed time to deal with life, considering where I had been for the past few months. I was extremely relieved to hear that.

Now I at least had a plan for after I gave the diamonds to Alejandro. After all, the arrest of Richard so soon after my kidnapping promised to be a scandal, and I didn't want to deal with what would happen.

I would make sure to be out of town as soon as Alejandro had the diamonds. I would go hide some place where I could be at peace and could think, and when I was ready, I would move to New York and never look back.

I had called Alejandro a couple of times already. We needed to plan the next steps, and I needed to know if he was attending the event. The third time, around eight in the evening, someone finally picked up the phone.

"Bueno?" I paused for a second, hearing the voice of a woman. I knew it was Elena's.

"Can I speak to Alejandro?" I asked coldly.

"Amelia! Como estas?"

I could see Elena's irritating smirk, even through the phone.

"Is Alejandro there?"

"He's showering. You want to leave him a message?"

"Just make sure he calls me back. It's important." I hung up before Elena could say anything else. Jealousy was almost as strong as love sometimes, and I had to close my eyes to resist the urge to throw the phone at the window.

Why was she there? And why was she answering Alejandro's phone?

It was nine p.m. when Alejandro finally called me back.

"Hello."

"Amelia?"

"Yes."

"You called me? My phone signal has been bad all day. I tried to call you earlier."

"Yes," I answered coldly. "I wanted to confirm that you will be at the dinner tomorrow."

"Yes, I am the guest of honor from what I understand."

"Great, I will make sure to have the diamonds then, and I will give them to you at the party."

"Are you sure? There really is no need to rush. I don't want Richard to suspect you, Amelia. He won"t hesitate one second to hurt you. If you tell me where they are, I can—"

"I'm sure," I interrupted.

We remained in silence for a few seconds, my heartbeat thumping in my ears.

"I fucking hate this. The idea that you are sleeping in this criminal's house is unbearable, Amelia. I need to see you."

"We will see each other soon." I swallowed, wondering how I would be able to control myself with him so close to me at the dinner.

"Amelia, about this dinner, you should know—"

"Don't worry about me, Alejandro," I interrupted. "The sooner I can give you those diamonds, the sooner we can both move on with our lives."

I hung up the phone and put it on silent, unable to control my shaking hands. I would not give him the pleasure of hearing my voice quiver. He called me back, but I rejected the call. I knew he wouldn't text me. We had agreed to not have anything in writing, just in case Richard got a hold of my phone.

I didn't want to let him know how much I was suffering, how much—against all my fears—I wanted him to be mine. Deep down, I knew if he said the words, I would follow him to the end of the world. But right now, he was with another woman, and that felt like an arrow was shot through my heart.

It was six in the morning when I opened my eyes. I could not, for the life of me, go back to sleep, so I decided to start packing my bags. I filled up two suitcases with clothes and hid them in my walk-in closet, making sure I locked it behind me.

I would have to tell Martha, but there was no need to leave evidence of my plans around. After the dinner, I would leave and go to a hotel. I, thankfully, had a good amount of savings. After all, Richard did provide for part of my monthly expenses, and since my return from Europe, I had made sure to be smart with my savings and investments. I could survive on my own for a few weeks before moving to New York for work.

I had spent the day tracking Richard as discreetly as I could, looking for a chance to get my hands on the diamonds. Unfortunately, Richard spent the whole day in his office, so I couldn't yet get to the diamonds. As was expected, the security had significantly increased in the house, and while they didn't really seem to pay much attention to me, their presence made me quite uneasy. He always used to work from home, at least part time, I reminded myself, so that wasn't abnormal. There was no need to panic. He would need to get ready for the party at some point, and I would go in then.

Martha came to my room around four in the afternoon. She had checked on me ten times already during the day and had forced me to eat two meals. Dolores and Martha would be great friends, I thought, smiling at the memories of Dolores bossing me around when it came to meals.

"I need to talk to you," I started, inviting Martha to sit on the bed next to where I was sitting.

"What's wrong? I can tell something is bothering you," said Martha as she sat.

"Remember that job I told you about in New York? Well, it"s still available for me. So, I plan…I still plan on moving there."

Martha had a look of horror on her beautiful, long face. "But you just got back! From being kidnapped! You should stay here, let me take care of you, make sure you are okay!"

I gestured to Martha to lower her voice. "I am fine, Nana, I swear. And I won't leave immediately, but I won"t stay here either. I am going to go to an Airbnb tonight after that stupid dinner."

"Why? It's not safe!"

"Trust me, it is. It"s safer than here."

"I know you don't like Mr. Richard, but…"

I took Martha's hands in mine. "You know I hate him, Nana, and you know the only reason he keeps track of me is because he wants me to marry George—for his business."

"I know, but it's too soon for you to just...go!"

"Nana, it's happening. I just wanted you to know." I sighed. "And I will still see you, no matter what happens after today. Promise me you will always be there, Nana, no matter what. Know that I will always be there for you. And if, one day, you want to come to New York with me, you will be more than welcome. I know you said no last time—something about rude New Yorkers or whatever—but the offer still stands." I blinked back my tears, my throat burning.

"Oh sweetie" she said, water in her eyes.

"You have been the only person in my life that has been there for me since day one, unconditionally, no matter what. I love you so much, and I am so thankful for everything you have done for me, all the sacrifices."

I stopped as tears rose to my eyes again, making my voice shake.

"You're making me cry!" squealed Martha, wiping her tears and hugging me tight. "Why are you saying all of this? It feels like you are saying goodbye to me, sweetie."

"I just want you to know how much you mean to me, that's all."

Martha looked at me with suspicious eyes. She knew I was not being completely truthful, but she also knew all she could do was wait. I wouldn't say anything else.

"What about George?"

"George? Well…" I said as I got up. "I will break up with him tonight, after the dinner."

Martha looked shocked, but she couldn't hide her relief. She never approved of George because she always knew my heart was not in it.

"What made you change your mind?"

"Well, let's say I…I now know I would be miserable, and it's also not fair to keep leading him on. He deserves to be happy, the same as I do."

I felt like I was under a microscope.

"I am going to start getting ready for that dinner," I announced as I cleared my throat, my cheeks slightly flushed, feeling foolish for being so transparent. Martha knew me too well.

"Okay, sweetie, okay. All I want is for you to be happy." Martha got up and gave me a big warm hug before she headed to the door.

When she left, I proceeded to get ready. Just the idea that I was going to see Alejandro in only a few hours filled me with warmth and desire. I couldn't help it. But it was followed by sadness and jealousy, knowing that I wouldn't see him again. Even if it was for the best, it was tearing me apart.

One horrifying thought that I hadn't considered before made my bones chill. What if Richard had moved the diamonds somewhere else, somewhere safer? What then? What if I now could never get to them? Would Mathias give me more time? Would he trust that I wasn't suddenly lying or had a change of heart, that I didn't tell Richard everything instead? Alejandro wouldn't get his revenge, and who knew what Mathias would be capable of in that moment. I shuddered as I paced in my room.

There was no point in thinking about that. I would get there if that was the case and deal with it then.

I opted for an ivory, sleeveless jumper that curved around my breasts in a flattering way, with a low back. The legs were wide, making it look like a dress at times. I straightened my hair and curled the ends to add some volume and dimension. I took my time with my makeup, enjoying using my dear beauty products again.

I slid the ring on my finger. While I planned on giving it back to George at the end of the night, I didn"t want any questions as to why I was not wearing it. I didn't even think they knew I was wearing it when I was taken.

When Martha came to tell me George had arrived, I finished packing and asked her to discreetly put my luggage in my car for me so no one would notice. I put on my gold Louboutins, grabbed my small Chanel purse, and headed to the foyer.

George was there, talking to Richard and what looked like two couples. Those were friends of Richard, two of whom also worked at the company. There was no sign of Alejandro. I walked down the stairs and grabbed the hand George was offering.

"You look stunning," he said as he kissed me.

"Thank you," I said timidly as I slowly moved my head away.

"Welcome to my abode!" said Richard.

I turned around to see Alejandro standing in the entryway, looking my way, a frown on his face. Elena's arm was in his, and she was wearing a gorgeous long, blue dress, her usual perverse smile on her very red lips.

Alejandro was wearing a sharp, black Hugo Boss suit that fit him to perfection, his hair perfectly combed backward, his face freshly shaven. I was having a hard time swallowing as George grabbed my hand and headed toward the group. This was going to be a long night.