Chapter 46 Lessons In A Gilded Jungle

• (POV: Isabela)
• True to his word, or perhaps just to reinforce his control, news reached me indirectly a day after my reluctant plea: Vicente Ramirez was back in his small home near Papa's estate. Shaken, bruised, but alive. So Emilio got the message—Mateo’s silent, deadly threat. A wave of relief hit me, then crashed, replaced by a cold, sick dread. Mateo had granted my request. And I knew, with chilling certainty, that he would expect payment. His words – "a down payment on your future good behavior" – echoed in my mind.
• The "good behavior" began almost immediately. The wedding was still over a week away, but Mateo started dragging me to various events. Not the society charity galas I was used to from my old life, though some had that fancy surface. These were different. The smiles were polite, the champagne glasses rang softly. But underneath, the air felt dangerous, like a room full of smiling killers in designer suits.