Chapter 17

• Over the past few days, Rafael Castellano had become a more frequent visitor at Jane’s house. Always polite and charming, he claimed he was simply trying to get to know his new stepsister better, but Maya wasn’t fooled. Each visit felt deliberate, calculated, as if he had an ulterior motive lurking beneath his casual demeanor.
• Maya was always on her guard around him, her smiles forced and her answers carefully measured. Rafael, with his piercing gaze and quiet intensity, had a way of making her feel exposed, as though he could see right through her. And the worst part was, she couldn’t completely ignore the magnetic pull she felt whenever he was near—a pull that reminded her all too clearly of their shared past.
• One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Rafael showed up again, unannounced. Maya opened the door to find him standing there, dressed casually in a crisp white shirt and dark jeans that somehow still managed to look expensive. His hand rested lazily on the doorframe, his expression unreadable.