Page 26 of Spice and Revenge

“It’s past 10 pm. Why are you calling at this time?” he asks. But before I can answer, he chuckles deeply. “Wait. Is this a booty call?” He drawls in a seductive purr. “Are you unable to function properly because you need to be fucked? Because I can’t. That night at the alley…”

“Maximo, this isn’t about sex,” I bite out.

On a normal day, I would have laughed at his joke. But today isn’t a normal day.

Sensing my panicked tone, he asks, “What’s wrong?”

“I think someone has found me. Someone is watching me. I know it, I can feel it…”

“Hey, baby. Calm down, okay?” he says in a soft voice. “Take deep breaths first, and then tell me what happened.”

I do what he says, even though it’s almost impossible for me to stay calm.

“I felt someone watching me today at the mall. I didn’t see anyone when I looked around, but I was almost certain that someone was watching me,” I say in a shaky voice.

He remains silent as I continue.

“When I came back to the mansion, I shot some cooking video content for my page. The moment I posted my video, I received a comment,” I trail off.

“Deep breaths,” he whispers over the line. I do as he says, before telling him the content of the comment I received.

“What if he finally found me?”

“He won’t find you,” Maximo says in a firm voice. “He doesn’t know where you are. I don’t even think he cares that much.”

I scoff bitterly. “I’ve seen how determined he can be when he wants to find something. He doesn’t just give up in the middle of a search, even if he might no longer care about it. This man is dangerous, Maximo. I’m scared,” I admit shakily.

“Listen to me, Lorena. He cannot find you, okay? I erased your former identity. You are a new person now, and you are miles away from him,” he says in a soothing voice.

I want to believe him, but I can’t.

“And the comment? The person following me?”

“I will look into it, okay? Just trust me,” he says reassuringly.

I exhale a deep breath. I knew that talking to Maximo would make me feel better. He always has a solution to every problem.

If things were different, or maybe in another life, Maximo would be the perfect guy for me. Even before we started hooking up a few years after I ran away, we were friends. I like his company, and the sex with him is great as well.

He is a genuinely good person, and when I am with him, it just feels natural. But I can’t shake the feeling that something is missing.

When I’m around him, I don’t feel fireworks or sparks—no fluttering butterflies or tension. He doesn’t consume my mind and thoughts the way a certain person does.

And even now, when there’s imminent danger, my mind still finds a way to bring him up—the man who has held my mind captive, with a grip that shows no signs of loosening.

Chapter Ten

Leonardo

I exhale deeply, feeling the release as I empty myself into the condom. Susan, the blonde on my bed, makes a sound between a whine and a moan as she reaches her climax. She collapses onto the sheets as I swing my legs out from under the covers, planting them onto the chilly tiled floor. Standing, I make my way to the bathroom to discard the used condom. Upon returning to the playroom, the blonde I just fucked is still on the bed, spread in a relaxed position.

Her gaze meets mine, and a slow, seductive smile curls across her lips. “Come back to bed, baby,” she purrs, her eyes smoky with desire.

I grab my pants from where they’re discarded on the floor. “It’s time for you to leave,” I say coldly, pulling my pants to my waist.

She looks surprised, like she thought I would let her stay here. “B-but it’s late. I can’t go home now…”

“A driver will take you home,” I retort, my tone sharp but not without consideration. It's late, and I'm not heartless enough to let her leave alone when I have drivers at my disposal.

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