The Billionaire's Dangerous Obsession - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

By the twelfth dress, Nivera was seconds away from strangling him. Just when she turned he couldn't be more insufferable, he proved her wrong.
“You don’t like this one either?” she asked, stepping out in a silver off-shoulder gown that shimmered like moonlight.
Alejandro tilted his head slightly, then gave a small shake. “Makes you look like a desperate socialite trying too hard to matter.”
Her mouth fell open. How was he so good with saying such demeaning things casually? “Are you serious right now?”
“Dead serious!” He shrugged nonchalantly.
She turned to the employee who was attending to them with a forced smile. “Is there a bat around here? Just something small. Lightweight. Preferably something that’ll knock the smug out of his face?” She asked in a whisper.
The woman chuckled nervously and she left to bring more dresses. However, Alejandro didn’t react, even though he had heard her.
Instead, he just leaned further back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, like a man who had all the time in the world to torture her.
“You know, for a man who claims to be busy, you’re really investing yourself in this dress process,” she remarked.
The Garcia empire was a trillion dollar industry and Alejandro alongside his brother were the ones who ruled it so how did he have time to do all this when he was supposed to be working?
Alejandro arched his brow as he finally looked at her. “Why do you think I'm on my phone?” He asked, making Nivera realize that he was working even while seated.
“And secondly, it's because if I have to endure this wedding, I’d at least prefer not to do so beside someone who looks like she got dressed in the dark.”
Nivera's jaw clenched as that was another insult. She had a great fashion sense and she didn't appreciate him insulting it.
“You don’t get to criticize when you kidnapped me and left me without my clothes.”
Alejandro offered her the faintest smile, the kind that held no warmth. “You should be thanking I saved you from getting raped and probably killed,” he responded bluntly and that made Nivera speechless.
“Thank you for that, but that doesn't mean you can treat me like shit and insult me at every given opportunity,” she said when she found her voice.
“It does and what are you going to do about it? Inject me again and run away?” He retorted and Nivera clenched her fists.
Before she could however respond, another dress was brought forward—a deep emerald satin gown, high slit, backless, with an asymmetrical neckline.
The boutique owner clapped her hands. “This one might be the one. It’s from our latest collection. Only one made.”
Nivera eyed it warily. “That’s… a lot of legs.” She had no problem with showing legs but for a wedding, she didn't want to upset the bride, whoever she was.
“You have legs worth showing,” Alejandro said, which stunned her enough to blink in silence. Was that a compliment or had she heard wrong?
“Try it,” he ordered.
She grabbed the dress and stormed into the dressing room, muttering under her breath the entire way.
Five minutes later, she stepped out and silence fell.
The emerald clung to her like liquid light. It curved along her waist, teased at her hips, and flowed like a second skin down her legs.
A thin strap draped over one shoulder while the other was bare. The slit revealed the length of her thigh as she moved, but it wasn’t vulgar—it was bold. Regal.
She didn’t say a word and she didn’t need to.
Alejandro’s eyes met hers—and she gulped as his gaze felt intense.
His eyes swept down slowly, as though memorizing every inch, then rose again with a spark of something she couldn’t place. Approval. Possession. Hunger?
He stood from his chair, slowly walking toward her.
Nivera’s heart pounded louder with each step he took.
“You’ll wear this one,” he said at last, voice low. No room for argument.
“You can leave,” he said to the other people in the room and they didn't waste any time in doing so.
Her lips parted, sarcasm on the tip of her tongue—but the way he was looking at her made it catch in her throat.
Instead, she looked away and folded her arms. “It’s not like I had a choice anyway.”
“You didn’t,” he agreed with a smirk. “But at least you look like someone worth ruining.”
She snapped her gaze back to him. “Excuse me?” His hot and cold nature was making her head feel light. Which was he?
Alejandro stepped closer, close enough for her to smell the cologne on his collar—spiced amber and something darker.
“You want honesty as to why I want you at the wedding?” he murmured, brushing a lock of hair from her face and she shuddered as the action felt intimate.
“I don’t take people to weddings. I don’t even attend them. But this one… I can't miss it as it's my brother's wedding and I need you there because a lot of women will try to get my attention. You'll need to ward them off and I need you looking like fire for it to happen.”
Her pulse kicked. So the asshole just needed someone to play bad cop on his behalf. “And what’s in it for me?”
His lips twitched. “The satisfaction of knowing everyone in the room will hate you for looking better than them and for capturing the playboy’s heart.”
She stared up at him. “That’s not a reward. That’s a death sentence.”
Seeing as his brother was already taken off the market, it left him as the most eligible bachelor and she knew she wouldn't be liked for taking that title away.
“You’re strong enough to handle it.”
“I want no part in this. I'm not going to be your pawn,” Nivera said and her breath caught when Alejandro leaned in even closer.
“How many times am I going to have to establish that I do not give a shit about what you want?”
And just like that, he stepped away, breaking the intensity of the moment, the tension that had curled between them like smoke.
“You can come back in,” he said and moments later, the boutique owner stepped in. “We’ll take it. Have it boxed, and send shoes to match. Also jewelry.”
“Yes, Mr. Garcia.”
“And a perfume,” he added. “One that suits a woman with claws.”
Nivera rolled her eyes, though she felt the tiniest tug of amusement behind her irritation.
As the boutique staff disappeared to handle the packaging, she walked over to where Alejandro stood and poked a finger into his chest.
“Don’t think for a second that I’m doing this for you.” Even though she knew she had no power, she'd be damned if she gave in to Alejandro without a bit of a fight.
He caught her finger and gently pushed it down. “You’re doing it for yourself. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
She scoffed, but something in her chest stirred—a heat she wasn’t ready to name.
Alejandro’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it briefly, then turned to her. “Time to go. We’ve still got more stops.”
“Oh joy. What’s next? Etiquette lessons? A leash fitting?” She rolled her eyes.
He laughed under his breath as he began to walk away. “Tempting. You know what, let's try that.”
She glared at his back as he led the way out.
The car door opened for her, and she slid inside, arms crossed, lips pressed into a firm line.
And yet, as the boutique faded behind them, and the emerald dress sat neatly packaged in the car, a thought occurred to her.
Her father would flip if he saw who she was associating herself with and if there was anything she loved, it was raising the old man's blood pressure in the hopes that it would finally take his life.
A grin appeared on her face as she thought of it. Alejandro forcing her did have its perks after all.