Chapter 5 - The Master’s StudyThe private study on the third floor of the Rivas estate was a sanctuary of dark mahogany, leather-bound ledgers, and towering bookshelves that stretched up to a coffered ceiling. It smelled of old paper, aged whiskey, and absolute power.
Mariana sat stiffly on the edge of a deep leather armchair, her hands clamped tightly over her knees. Valentina was curled up asleep in her lap, utterly exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of the morning, her tear-streaked face resting peacefully against Mariana’s chest.
Across the massive mahogany desk sat Alejandro Rivas.
He hadn't said a word since they entered ten minutes ago. He was reviewing a thick sheaf of documents—background check reports printed on crisp white paper. Every single detail of Mariana’s miserable past was laid bare before him: her impoverished childhood, her disastrous marriage to a gambling addict named Lucas, her desperate flight across state lines, and her employment history at the staffing agency.
"Lucas Delgado," Alejandro read aloud, his voice flat and clinical. "Your ex-husband. He still holds legal joint custody of this child on paper, correct?"
Mariana flinched as if struck. "He doesn't care about Valentina! He only used her to threaten me, to force me to hand over my paychecks for his debts. That’s why I ran away. He doesn't even know where we are."
"He will find out," Alejandro stated matter-of-factly, sliding the papers aside and lacing his fingers together on the desk. "Men like Lucas Delgado do not let go of leverage easily. Especially when they realize you are working inside a high-profile estate. It’s only a matter of weeks before he tracks your social security number or bank deposits."
"I’ll move again," Mariana whispered, panic rising in her throat. "I’ll quit right now. Just... please don't let him near my daughter."
"Quit?" Alejandro raised an eyebrow, a cold, calculating glint flashing in his dark eyes. "You think you can just walk out of my house after causing forty-eight hours of logistical nightmares? You signed a two-year exclusivity contract with my agency, Mariana. Breaking it would result in legal penalties you could never hope to pay off."
Mariana felt the room spin. She was trapped. Trapped by the agency, trapped by her lack of money, and trapped by the most ruthless man in the city.
"Then what do you want from me?" Mariana demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and sudden, desperate defiance. "Do you want me to scrub your floors until my hands bleed? Do you want me to pay off the painting a dollar at a time? Just tell me how much I owe you!"
Alejandro leaned back in his leather chair, studying her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
"I don't want your money, Mariana," Alejandro said slowly. "And I certainly don't want a weeping housekeeper who spends half her shift looking over her shoulder."
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He stood up, walking slowly around the desk until he was standing just feet away from her chair. He looked down at sleeping Valentina, then back up at Mariana.
"I am offering you a new contract," Alejandro said.
