𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐓 ― rafe cameron

τέσσερα ; 4

song of the chapter:
WORST BEHAVIOR ; ariana grande

The next morning, Margarita lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the sunlight filtered through her curtains. She hadn't been able to shake the strange feeling that had settled in her chest after her conversation with Rafe. It wasn't just the unexpected attention, but the way he seemed to want to figure her out, peeling back layers with his questions.

She grabbed her phone, scrolling through Instagram again, wondering if there was anything from him—but there was nothing new. Just the heart-eyed reaction from the previous day's story and the message asking if she was coming to his party. Letting out a sigh, she tossed her phone aside and got out of bed, feeling restless.

Her thoughts kept circling back to Rafe. She didn't want to fall for someone like him—someone who had a reputation, someone who Sarah had warned her about—but there was something disarming about the way he looked at her.

Pulling her hair into a loose bun, Margarita decided she needed to clear her head. Maybe a run along the beach would do the trick. Anything to stop thinking about Rafe Cameron.

Margarita's feet pounded rhythmically against the wet sand, the ocean breeze cooling her skin as she jogged along the shoreline. The sea was calming—its endless ebb and flow always brought her clarity. Yet today, her thoughts were as turbulent as the waves crashing at her feet.

She couldn't stop thinking about Rafe. His piercing blue eyes, the way he had tried to dissect her with his questions. It was strange. Most guys she met didn't bother to ask about her life, her family, or where she came from. They just flirted, maybe tried to get her number, but Rafe's curiosity had caught her off guard.

As she rounded the bend of the beach, she slowed her pace, coming to a stop near some rocks. Catching her breath, she stared out at the horizon, watching the sun climb higher into the sky. The warmth of it on her skin was comforting, but her mind still raced. Was Rafe genuinely interested in her, or was this some game to him?

She shook her head as if the motion could somehow shake away the thoughts of him. She didn't have time to waste on guys like him—not when she had more pressing things to focus on. Her family needed her to show up tonight and be the perfect daughter, the perfect representative of their success in front of the investors.

"Focus," she muttered to herself, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Back at home, Margarita found herself staring into her closet, her fingers idly tracing the fabric of the dresses hanging neatly inside. She needed to pick something for dinner—something elegant but not too over-the-top. She grabbed a sleek, black dress and laid it on the bed before heading into the shower, hoping the hot water would wash away the tension that had been building all morning.

As the steam filled the bathroom, her phone buzzed on the countertop. Stepping out of the shower, she wiped a hand across the mirror to catch a glimpse of herself. The buzzing continued.

She grabbed her phone and unlocked it. A new DM from Rafe sat at the top of her notifications:

"Nice run today?"

Her heart skipped a beat. How had he known she'd been out running? She glanced out the window toward the beach. Had he been watching her?

Shaking her head, she decided not to respond. Not now, anyway. She had more important things to worry about than Rafe Cameron.

By the time dinner rolled around, Margarita was dressed and ready, her black dress hugging her figure perfectly as she smoothed her hair back. She could hear the low murmur of voices from the dining room as the investors and her parents chatted politely. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the night ahead.