The Night Before the Wedding Youre nervous, Rafael whispers, his breath warm against her skin as he leans in closer.
Elena stiffens, but she doesnt pull away.
Not yet.
His fingers brush against her arm lightly, almost teasing, as if hes trying to read her every move.
She tries to stay calm, to control her emotions, but the tension in the air is thick.
She cant lie to himnot anymore.
Hes too perceptive.

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Too careful.
His eyes flicker with suspicion, and Elena can feel it in the pit of her stomach.
She knows that he senses somethings off.
Shes been acting differently ever since she overheard the plan to escape, but she cant let him know.
Not yet.
Shes too close.
Im fine, she says, trying to sound convincing, but her voice betrays her.
Its barely above a whisper, and even to her ears, it sounds shaky.
She turns her head away, trying to hide the fear in her eyes.
Rafael doesnt seem convinced.
He leans even closer, his lips brushing against the side of her neck.
No, youre not, he murmurs, his tone soft but insistent.
Youre hiding something from me, Elena.
The words hit her like a punch in the chest.
He knows.
She can feel it.
But what can she do? She cant tell him the truth.
She cant risk it, not when everything is so close to falling apart.
She cant tell him that shes planning to run.
She cant tell him that theres a chance she might escape his grasp forever.
Youre just imagining things, she says quickly, shaking her head, but the words dont sound as convincing as shed hoped.
Rafaels fingers curl gently under her chin, guiding her face back toward his.
I know you too well, he says softly, his voice low and dangerous.
Youve been distant lately.
Somethings on your mind.
Her breath catches in her throat.
She can feel her heart pounding in her chest, and every instinct inside her is screaming to push him away.
To tell him everything is fine and go along with whatever he wants.
But she cant.
She cant lie to him like that.
Not anymore.
Im just tired, she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper.
She hopes its enough to satisfy him, but something in his gaze tells her it isnt.
Rafael watches her for a moment, his eyes unreadable.
For a second, she thinks hes going to press her further, but instead, he leans back, his grip on her chin loosening.
Fine.
But if you want to sleep, well do it together.
Elenas stomach twists, and she forces herself not to flinch.
She cant tell him no, not when hes watching her so closely.
She doesnt know what hell do if she pushes him too far.
Okay, she says, trying to sound calm, trying to hide the dread thats crawling up her spine.
She gets up from the chair she was sitting in and moves toward the bed.
The air feels thick with tension as she climbs under the covers, trying not to make any sudden movements.
She feels Rafaels presence beside her as he settles down next to her, his body close enough that she can feel the heat radiating from him.
He pulls her toward him, his arm sliding around her waist, pulling her into his chest.
Elena, he says, his voice barely a whisper, but the weight of his words makes her heart skip a beat.
I want you to be happy tomorrow.
I want you to be mine.
Completely.
She doesnt know how to respond.
How can she say anything when shes drowning in fear? How can she act like shes okay when every part of her is screaming to run, to get away before its too late? I will be, she says, trying to keep her voice steady, but she knows it sounds empty.
It doesnt mean anything.
Its just a lie shes telling herself to survive.
Rafael presses a soft kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering for a second longer than necessary.
Good, he whispers, as if everything is already decided.
As if she has no choice in the matter.
She forces herself to relax, to close her eyes and pretend like everything is okay.
But inside, her mind is racing.
The clock is ticking.
Tomorrow is the wedding.
And it feels like everything is about to unravel.
The minutes tick by, and the sound of Rafaels steady breathing lulls her into a false sense of calm.
She tries to sleep, tries to block out the fear and the panic, but its impossible.
Every time she closes her eyes, all she can think about is whats coming.
The plan.
The escape.
The moment when everything will finally fall into place.
But as much as she tries to push it all away, its always there, lurking in the back of her mind.
She knows she cant keep this up forever.
She knows shes running out of time.
But right now, she has to stay calm.
She has to keep her head clear.
If she doesnt, shell lose everything.
She doesnt even realize shes drifting off to sleep until she feels a weight shift beside her.
She blinks, her eyes slowly fluttering open, and when she does, her heart skips a beat.
Rafael is watching her.
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