The moment the front door creaked open, I knew we were in trouble.
Camilla stepped outside like she owned the entire world, her thick gold hoops reflecting in the sunlight as she posed in the doorway like a model on the runway.
She was flashy in the way only a Spanish city girl could be—tight crop top with the name of some designer stretched across her chest, bright red leather pants hugging her legs, and nails so long and sharp they could be classified as weapons.
Her hair was greased into a high ponytail, dark and glossy, well laid edges. She smelled like expensive perfume mixed with bubblegum, and the moment she saw Axel—her eyes went popped open, pupils dilating like a cat spotting prey.
I made a poker face when Camilla threw herself forward, all but tripping over her platform heels as she beamed at him. "Dios mío... Axel?"
Her voice rose lightly, the kind of tone she reserved for noblemen with good looks and deep pockets. If she had been in her wolf form, she would have been wagging her tail.
Her entire body language screamed please let me seduce you. But then, she noticed me.
And everything changed.
Her eyes flicked to my hand—still in Axel’s—and her expression dropped so fast it was almost comical. One moment, she was a swooning flirt, the next, she was the villain in a telenovela.
"What the hell are you doing outside?" she demanded, her lip curling in disgust.
Then her gaze snapped back to Axel, and her voice turned accusatory. "And with him?"
Axel took the moment to greet her with a polite nod. "Camilla. Can you get Don Diego? I need to speak with him."
I winced at that, heart accelerating. If Camilla called for our father, I was as good as dead. He wouldn’t listen to explanations—he would see me standing beside Axel and jump to the worst conclusions.
I broke his rule. I left the house, after according to him, I killed his pigs.
I wanted to say something, to beg her to keep quiet, but my mouth wouldn’t move. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, and my throat had closed in terror.
For a split second, Camilla just stood there, her mouth slightly agape as though she couldn’t process that he had actually spoken to her.
Then, realization dawned on my sister—she had been given a task by a nobleman. A real, flesh-and-blood, handsome nobleman.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder, grinning like a cat that had just swallowed a canary. "Oh, of course. Por supuesto," she simpered, her voice suddenly becoming a breathy whisper.
From her tone, one could see the desperation and silent hope that he’d notice the sultriness in her tone.
And with that, she spun on her heel and hurried back inside.
I exhaled shakily, my whole body shuddering.
Axel, standing beside me, crossed his arms, looking mildly intrigued and disgusted. "Is she always like that?"
But I couldn’t answer. I was still trying to gather my wits, still recovering from the near-death experience of Camilla’s interrogation.
But before I could regain full control of my limbs, the doors opened again.
And instead of Don Diego, Rosa stepped outside.
Oh, by the holy Moon Goddess.
Instantly, everything changed again.
Rosa stepped outside with the grace of a queen; her dark curls were pinned in an elegant updo. Her dress simple but refined... definitely not anywhere as filthy as mine was.
She was beautiful in a way that required no effort—her cold demeanor only added to the allure. But now, for the first time in years, there was a crack in her icy exterior. Her sharp eyes loosened up, just slightly, as she took in the sight of Axel standing before her.
Axel, to my horror, let go of my hand the second he saw her. It was almost as though holding me was a crime.
Something inside me wriggled.
I didn’t know what it was, but it was painful—like something raw had been ripped open inside me. My fingers curled against my palm, the ghost of his touch still there, but it meant nothing now.
After all, this was the first woman in his life. This was Rosa and she was a million folds better than I was. She was the woman any leader would want in his life.
The shift in Axel’s expression was subtle, but I saw it. Recognition. Nostalgia... everything that indicated a man had just found home.
He looked pleased—not just in the polite way he had been with me, but in a genuine, pleased-to-see-you way.
I should not have cared. I should not have cared.
But something kept on twisting painfully in my chest.
"Axel," Rosa whispered, gulping.
"Rosa." His lips curled into a wistful smile in respons.
For a moment, neither of them moved. They simply stared at each other, as if caught in a moment only they could understand.
Then, Rosa broke the silence. "Why didn’t you ever seek me out?" Her voice was quiet, but had a hint of something between longing and accusation. "You came home once in a while. You were here. You could have found me."
Axel’s jaw tightened slightly. "I wasn’t man enough to face you, Rosa. I’m sorry if I disappointed you. This was what I have been avoiding."
Did Axel just say all of that? Why did it hurt like hell?
Rosa hiccuped to my greatest surprise, her fingers clenching into fists.
Then, to my absolute horror, she extended a palm and touched his face. His face. The same one I had been looking at just moments ago, the same one that had smiled at me.
"You were always man enough to me," she murmured.
Something inside me cracked.
I had been fine all this time. I had never let myself feel anything. But this? This made me feel like I had been gutted and left to bleed out on the ground.
And of course, because the universe despises me, Camilla decided now was the perfect time to insert herself back into the conversation.
She purred from behind us, "Oh, lovebirds reunited. How romantic."
Axel and Rosa broke apart, but not before he gave her a little smile. A real one.
I was going to throw up.