Page 38 of Ruthless Rival

Gabriela smiled and pressed a joyful kiss against my lips. “What an honor to hang on Alberto Mancini’s arm. I’ll make all the ladies jealous.” She laughed.

I was proud to have her as mine, but there was still one issue. “For now, we’ll have to keep our relationship a secret. I don’t want my children finding out just yet,” I explained to her.

Gabriela’s face immediately fell. She stood up and stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around herself as she narrowed her eyes. “Why? I thought you Mancinis were close,” she asked.

I sighed and followed her out, grabbing the other towel to put around my waist. “We are, but I don’t think my children will take me being with a Castillo very well,” I stated.

Gabriela shook her head. “I’m not going to be in a secret relationship with you, Alberto. Your kids are grown. You can tell them the truth. I want them to get to know me and accept me as your girlfriend.”

I ran my fingers through my hair as I glanced away from her. I understood where she was coming from, but she didn’t understand where I was coming from. My family didn’t like Castillos. If they found out I was dating one, they would think I was going crazy. “We just need to wait for the right moment to tell them the news.”

Gabriela scoffed and tossed her towel at me. “How is a man scared of his own family’s opinions? Call me when you’re actually ready to be with me,” she snapped before storming out of the bathroom.

I clenched my jaw and followed her. “I’m not scared of anyone’s opinions, but I respect my family’s. My relationship with you affects them,” I said in a stern voice.

Gabriela rolled her eyes at me as she pulled her clothes on. “I could make your family’s life better. I’m sure they would understand if you buck up and tell them,” she replied before swiftly leaving the hotel room and slamming the door behind her.

I sighed as I folded my hands behind my head. I felt glad that she was mine, but there were still obstacles ahead for us. Regardless, she would end up by my side and be more than just an ally to the Mancinis.

She would be family.

Chapter Seventeen:Getaway

Gabriela

What started as a magical night between Alberto and I ended with me seething in anger. I laid in my own bed with my arms crossed over my chest. The sensation of his touches tingled on my skin, my desire conflicting with my frustration. He caressed me and spoke to me like a true lover, but he wanted to hide me from the most important people in his life.

What could I make out of that?

I fell in love with the enemy. Castillos and Mancinis had been rivals for years and would probably always remain that way. Initially, I only saw Alberto as a way to get back at my father and his cruel cartel, but things changed. I saw who he really was past the crime boss exterior he showed everyone else, and I was done for.

No one else was like Alberto Mancini. They didn’t have his power and charm. He was the only person I knew who could be a gentleman one second and then a lethal enemy the next. He brought passion and excitement to my greyscale, lonely life.

However, I wasn’t a secret side piece. I wanted people to know that Alberto and I were together, that we connected two opposing sides and defied all odds. He didn’t seem willing to budge on his requirement, though. He didn’t want his kids to know about us.

I expected his children to be upset about us at first, but once they knew I wanted to take down the cartel, they would warm up to me. They would see how happy I made their father. If they loved him and truly wanted him to be happy, they would accept me into their family.

However, I knew how life worked. It was far more complicated than that, and I had a feeling Alberto pictured that version of events. Maybe it would be simpler for everyone if we kept our relationship a secret for a little while. The last thing I wanted was to lose him, and his family was his life. If I cared about him, I couldn’t make him put his relationship with them in jeopardy.

I was already tearing myself away from my own family. I couldn’t destroy another one in the process. A small part of me deep down still reminded myself that I was a Castillo. There were some people I still cared about…Carlos and Ignacio. They were my blood and I cherished them, but I wasn’t proud to be in the same family as them.

I had no idea how long Carlos would be in his coma. He might never wake up, leaving me without the brother I had known all of my life. If Ignacio didn’t gather the courage he needed to abandon the cartel and live his own life, I had to leave him behind as well.

My father was right about me having no loyalty to my family. After how terribly he treated me, I didn’t have his best interests in mind. I had been kicked around for too long and watched too many people get hurt and killed by my father’s hand. It was time to bring him down with revenge and justice.

I woke up on a sunny morning a few weeks later to the sound of my phone ringing on my nightstand. I blinked a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the glaring sunlight streaming in through my bedroom windows. From the height of the sun in the sky, it had to be around seven o’clock. Who would be calling me this early?

I reached out and grabbed my phone, shooting straight up in bed at the sight of Alberto’s name on my screen. I paused. He didn’t deserve to hear my voice if he didn’t think I was worthy enough to show off to his family.

I spent the last few weeks talking to Ignacio and sneaking visits to the hospital to see Carlos. Nothing had changed on that front. Mostly, I was keeping myself busy and holding Alberto at bay with short texts. He demanded to see me, but I still felt stung by his reluctance to introduce me to his family.

I tried to reason with myself over and over again, but the thought of sneaking around with him like I was a dirty little secret didn’t appeal to me in the slightest. My family already saw me as a disgrace. I didn’t want to feel that way with my own lover.

If only my spite was enough. Deep down, I still longed for him, especially when he sent me sweet words over text and told me how much he desired me and missed me. Steadily, he weakened my walls, but the final blow came yesterday in a surprise I never expected.

Over the past few weeks, I noticed how different I felt. Physically. Something was going on, and in a way, it felt strikingly familiar. When I confirmed my suspicions, it wasn’t a surprise, but it was something I couldn’t hide from Alberto. There were some secrets, even I couldn’t keep.

Gradually, my resolve softened as I continued to stare at his name. I remembered how he kissed me and looked at me like I was the only woman in his world. Maybe his reasoning was deeper than I could understand. Regardless, we needed to talk about our future.

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