A Silent Surrender

YOU'RE A FUCKING LIAR!

The morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and golden, casting gentle shadows across the room. I slowly opened my eyes, the cool sheets against my skin the first sensation I registered. I lay still for a moment, disoriented, the memories of last night flooding back. I had kissed Miguel , truly kissed him for the first time and let myself get lost in his touch. My body still hummed with the memory of it, but now, the bed beside me was empty.

My chest tightened slightly as I turned my head to look at where he should've been. I wasn't sure why I expected him to still be there. He was Miguel, after all, always busy, always pulled into a world of meetings and decisions I wasn't a part of. The son of Spain's most powerful mafia leader.

I exhaled softly, staring at the empty space beside me , wondering how long this uneasy feeling would last. Part of me wanted to bury myself back under the covers, but I could already hear the faint bustle outside the room .Nanny Rose was awake.

As if on cue, the door creaked open. Nanny Rose stepped in, carrying a tray of freshly baked bread, fruits, and a cup of tea. The sight of her brought me a wave of comfort .

"Good morning, my dear," Nanny greeted me warmly, placing the tray on a small table near the bed. "I've laid out some clothes for you to choose from. You'll need something nice for today."

I nodded, a small smile forming on my lips. Nanny Rose had always known how to make things seem normal, even when they were anything but.

"Thank you, Nanny ," I said, my voice still soft from sleep. I sat up, brushing my hair back from my face. "Where's Miguel?"

Rose's smile faltered slightly, just for a moment, but it was enough for Eva to catch it.

"He'll be unavailable today, sweetheart. Business matters, I assume. You likely won't see him until late tonight."

I swallowed the disappointment that rose in my throat. I didn't want to care, didn't want to feel that gnawing ache at his absence, but it was there all the same. He had touched me in ways no one else had, and yet, he had slipped away before dawn. I couldn't shake the feeling of being left behind.

But I pushed it aside. There was no sense in lingering over something I couldn't control.

After breakfast, as promised, Miguel's assistant arrived with the novels I had requested. I gratefully accepted them and decided to spend my morning in the garden, where the scent of roses and jasmine drifted through the air. I found a quiet corner, nestled beneath the shade of a large oak tree, and lost herself in the pages of her books. But even the words on the page couldn't quite distract me from the emptiness I felt in Miguel's absence.

By afternoon, I was taken to the shopping mall. It was a kind gesture, meant to help me settle in, but as I wandered through the gleaming shops and elegant displays, all I felt was loneliness. I bought a few things , a silk scarf , some perfumes but the trip was hollow. I wasn't interested in luxury today. What I wanted was something deeper, something Miguel had started to offer last night but had then withdrawn.

On the way back, as the car turned a corner near the outskirts of town, my gaze drifted out the window. That's when I saw it. Miguel's G-Wagon, parked on the side of the road. My heart stopped for a second. He was standing next to it, talking to someone ,a woman. A Latina, with long, dark hair cascading down her back. Even from a distance, I could tell she was beautiful. Her body language was relaxed, almost too familiar. She was laughing at something Miguel had said, her hand resting lightly on his arm.

Jealousy surged through me before she could stop it. My chest tightened, my hands curling into fists on my lap. Who was she? Why was Miguel talking to her like that?

As the car drove past, I averted my eyes, my heart pounding. I knew I had had no right to feel this way. Miguel wasn't mine , at least not in the way I wanted. But it didn't stop the sting of betrayal from sinking into my chest. He had kissed me , touched me last night, made me feel wanted, and now he was...what? Out here with some other woman?

By the time I got home, the confusion and jealousy had hardened into a bitter knot in my stomach. I couldn't shake the image of that woman, so effortlessly beautiful, laughing with him as if they shared some private joke. The rest of the evening passed in a blur. I couldn't focus on my books, couldn't enjoy the comfort of Nanny Rose's presence. All I could do was wait for Miguel.

Hours passed. I waited in the darkness, the house quiet around me as I had already dismissed all the servants , even nanny Rose . It wasn't until nearly midnight that I heard the front door open. My heart leapt into my throat as Miguel entered the house, his footsteps slow and deliberate.

He hadn't expected me to be awake, but there I was sitting in the living room, alone, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon through the windows.

Miguel paused when he saw me. "Eva?", "You're still awake," Miguel said, his voice a deep rumble.

But I couldn't stop the words from spilling out. My voice cracked as I spoke, my emotions raw and exposed. "How could you?" I whispered, tears already blurring my vision. "How could you kiss me last night, touch me, and then go to her?"

Miguel's face darkened with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you," I sobbed, wiping at my tears furiously. "With her. The woman by the side of the road. I saw the way you looked at her. And now you come home to me, like nothing's happened."

Miguel's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, something dark flickered in his eyes. "That woman is a business contact. Nothing more."

He stepped forward, his brow furrowed, but I shook my head, backing away slightly.

"You're a fucking liar ,you're touching me," I choked, my voice breaking, "and then you're going to someone else. I feel so...betrayed, so fucking stupid ."