Page 31 of Game of Revenge

My best guess was that Alejandro wasn’t home, and I was hoping for some alone time in the office. I wanted to take a look around, see if I could find anything that could shed some light on my situation. Since Alejandro wasn’t home, as had then confirmed Dolores, this was a good plan. Dolores didn’t seem concerned about letting me explore in Alejandro’s absence.

I took my time browsing the books. I would grab one, start reading it, and conveniently change my mind to try another one. Poor Dolores was being patient, but it was obvious that she wanted to go take care of her business. I ignored the sense of guilt I was feeling. I was, of course, abusing Dolores’s kindness, but I didn’t know what else to do.

Desperate measures were required.

Eventually, Dolores told me to stay there and not to go anywhere else. She had just received a message about a delivery she had been waiting for all day that she had to go pick up. Feeling like the worst person in the world, I gave her my most innocent smile and pretended to be absorbed in my new read.

As soon as I heard the office door close behind her, I walked to Alejandro’s desk. My hands were starting to shake, my heart threatening to jump out of my chest. I wanted to run as much as I wanted to search through everything. But I knew I couldn’t cower. I needed answers. I had to be my own savior.

I pulled on some drawers, but they were locked. Of course. There was a cell phone on the desk, but it was locked too. Although, I could see that there were some text messages that had come in earlier that Alejandro had not yet read. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to get any information from it, I put the phone back down.

I continued opening anything that was on the desk. I paused when I saw something shiny hidden by the computer screen. My heart skipped a beat. It was my engagement ring. What the hell? Why would Karina give it to him?

I kept it in my hand but started going through the documents on the desk. Nothing jumped out at me. I was about to retreat and give up when I noticed a piece of paper peeking out from under the keyboard. There were two pictures.

The first one was a picture of what looked like over twenty decent-sized diamonds coming out of a bag with the letters MFG. The bag looked familiar, but I couldn’t tell why. I muffled a scream when I saw the second picture—a dead man on a wooden floor with blood pouring out of his head from what looked like a bullet wound. I suddenly felt nauseated and terrified.

As I was about to continue looking around, I heard someone at the door. I panicked but managed to put the documents back under the keyboard.

As I was trying to take a step back, I knocked down a decorative box that was on the desk as well the phone. The ring fell from my grip.

Before I could fix anything, I saw Alejandro enter the room, staring at me with rising anger. Before I knew it, he was next to me, grabbing me violently by the arm. My eyes were wide open with terror, and I couldn’t see straight. I felt both cold and weak.

“What are you doing?!” he shouted.

“Nothing!” My stomach churned when I stared into his eyes. He looked enraged.

Alejandro looked around and saw the mess I had made. He saw his phone on the floor and grabbed it without letting go of me.

“Did you use my phone? Did you?!” he barked, shaking me even more.

“Stop it! Stop!”

“How dare you look through my things?! Do you realize how dangerous this could be?”

“Todo bien?” asked Juan as he entered the room—with no mask.

Alejandro, lips curled back in fury and jaw clenched, pushed me toward the floor violently with a look of panic in his eyes. I fell on my side on the hardwood.

“Todo bien,” he said, turning toward Juan. “Get out of here,” he brusquely ordered. “We will talk tomorrow.”

It seemed like Juan hesitated. I couldn’t see him, but one look at Alejandro's face and I knew Juan would know better than to argue. I heard the door close as Juan left.

“Mocosa mimada,” accused Alejandro, grabbing me by the arm to make me stand. “Don’t ever, ever dare come close to my desk ever again!”

I wanted to cry—or better yet, disappear. Alejandro was livid. His face looked distorted with anger and panic. I was scared. Would he finally hurt me?

Alejandro shook me again. “Tell me! What did you see?! Don’t make me ask you twice!” I needed to process my thoughts, but he wasn’t letting me, so I let anger invade my thoughts instead—the only weapon I had.

“Let me go, Alejandro! How dare you treat me like this! I am not your child, nor am I your property!”

Alejandro looked shocked. He apparently expected compliance, and I was not giving in.

“You are mine! You are under my roof, and you will do as I tell you!”

“No! No! Let me go! You are no one to tell me what to do! Let me go back to my room!”

“No, no.” He shook his head in frustration. “Your insubordination has consequences, and I will teach you to listen, for your own good!”