Chapter 24

• I knock on Rafael's office door the next morning, a mix of curiosity and apprehension swirling in my stomach. As I wait for his response, my mind drifts back to the night before. After falling asleep in that twisted, uncomfortable position, I woke later on my back, clean and nestled under the sheets. But the sound of Rafael’s ragged breathing had jolted me fully awake. He was moaning in pain, trapped in the throes of a nightmare.
• The scene had been eerily similar to the last time he froze up next to me, his body rigid and trembling. Both times, my instinct had been the same—to sing softly, just like I used to with Melina when we were younger, trying to soothe her from bad dreams. The way my voice seemed to pull Rafael back from whatever darkness had him in its grip felt... strange. Like I had some kind of power over him, a way to ground him when he was lost. It made me question who he really was beneath the ruthless exterior. The way he struggled in his sleep—his hands fisting the sheets, his chest heaving as though he was suffocating—didn't match the cold-blooded killer image he projects. Something terrified him, something deep and hidden. But I wasn’t foolish enough to ask.
• I shake the lingering thoughts away as I enter his office, my eyes adjusting to the bright morning sun streaming through the office windows. Wiping my slightly clammy hands on the soft fabric of my floral skirt, I take a slow breath. The skirt—a pale pink dotted with tiny white flowers—brushes gently against my skin with every movement, swaying slightly as I step forward. Its high waist cinches me in just right, accentuating my figure, while the white crop top I paired it with shows a sliver of skin at my midriff. It’s a simple outfit, but it feels right for the sunny morning.