Sabrina, the sweet, bubbly girl next door, never imagined being pulled into a world of danger. But meeting Julian, a captivating mafia member with a dark past, changes everything.
As she falls for him, she's torn between love and the dangerous secr...
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As we drive back to my tía's house, Julian brings up what happened back there, his voice careful. "I don't know what Alejandro's deal was," he says, glancing over at me, waiting for some reaction.
I keep my face neutral, even managing a small smile. "I don't really want to talk about it," I say lightly, hoping he'll let it go.
But he doesn't buy it, and I can see the concern in his eyes as he studies me. I try to brush it off with another smile. "Seriously, I'm fine," I add, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
Yet, deep down, his words still sting. Slut? Really?
It cut deeper than I want to admit, even to myself.
When we finally arrive, I take a deep breath and ring the doorbell, hoping I can put the whole thing behind me for now.
My abuela answers, her face lighting up as soon as she sees us. "Mija, Julian, it's so nice to see you both again," she says warmly, pulling us both in for quick hugs.
We spend a few minutes making the rounds, saying hello to everyone, until finally, Julian and I sit down at the dinner table with my family.
The familiar sound of their chatter, the smell of my tía's cooking, it all starts to put me at ease—until the doorbell rings again.
My stomach drops as my tía goes to answer it. A second later, she's inviting Alejandro and his mom into the house.
I feel like I've been punched. No, not here. My mind races.
How did he even manage to get here so quickly after what just happened with Camilla? Julian's gaze slides over to me, his expression questioning.
I lean in, whispering quietly in his ear, "My family is really close to his." Julian nods, but his eyes stay on Alejandro, his jaw tense.
Ale barely glances at me as he follows his mom to the table, taking a seat just a few chairs down. The tension presses down like a weight, and I force myself to look away, focusing on the steady hum of my family's voices.
Alejandro's mom leans over with a smile, asking, "Sabrina, have you been busy? It's been ages since I've seen you around."
Before I can answer, Ale mutters under his breath, loud enough for the room to hear, "Busy whoring around."
My head snaps up, my face going pale as I meet his cold, spiteful gaze. A stunned silence falls over the table, and my heart races, desperately hoping no one heard that.
But my papa did.
He looks sharply at Alejandro, his brows furrowed. "What was that?" he demands, his voice low but dangerous.
I feel everyone's eyes on me, and I manage to murmur, "Nothing, Papa." My voice sounds thin, distant, like I'm not even there.
Ale, leaning back with a twisted smile, raises an eyebrow. "Hm. Maybe we should show them, right, Sab?" His voice is dripping with malice.
