The Billionaire's Dangerous Obsession - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

The soft ding of the elevator was barely audible over the hum of quiet tension as Alejandro and Nivera stepped in.
The doors slid shut behind them, sealing them into the quiet space with mirrored walls and golden lighting.
Nivera leaned casually against the side, arms crossed, eyes trained on the glowing numbers above.
Alejandro, as usual, stood tall and imposing—one hand in his pockets, and the other on his phone.
He hadn’t said a word since they left the room, and Nivera wasn’t exactly itching to break the silence.
In fact, she hoped he was going to drop her back at the mansion so she wouldn’t have to see him till it was probably time for dinner
As the elevator hummed to life, descending smoothly, Nivera’s gaze drifted toward Alejandro and the hatred she felt towards him came to life
However, before she could dwell on it, the lights above flickered and darkness followed.
A sharp mechanical clunk echoed, jolting the elevator to a dead stop.
"What the hell?!" Alejandro finally spoke.
The emergency lights immediately kicked in, bathing the small space in dim amber. Nivera frowned, pushing off the wall. “Did we just… stop?”
Alejandro had already moved to the panel, pressing the emergency button. Once. Twice. Rapidly.
However, nothing happened. He jabbed it again with more force, his brow furrowing deeper.
“Is someone there?” Nivera raised her voice, knocking on the metallic door. “Hello? We’re stuck in here!”
Silence.
Seeing as she wasn’t going to get a response, she turned and looked at her phone. There was however, no signal.
“Damn it!” She tried raising her hand to the ceiling, as if that would help. “Seriously? Of all the times, it had to be right now?”
Meanwhile, Alejandro backed away from the panel, retreating to the far corner of the elevator.
His fingers fumbled with his tie as his chest began to rise and fall—faster and faster. Sharper. Like his body was slowly losing the rhythm of breathing.
Shit, this couldn’t be happening right now! He thought to himself as he tried to get it under control, but the more he tried, the more he spiralled.
Nivera noticed his silence, and it infuriated her to know that he wasn’t doing anything.
“Why aren’t you…” She started, but her words caught in her throat when she saw him sweating profusely.
Alejandro’s chest heaved erratically, eyes dilated and unfocused.
His expression, which was usually stoic, was filled with panic. His knuckles were white where they gripped the handrail behind him.
“Alejandro?” She said carefully, but he didn’t respond.
“Alejandro,” she repeated, stepping closer.
He looked at her, but it was like he wasn’t seeing her at all. Like she was a ghost. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
“Shit,” Nivera cursed under her breath as she observed him. “You’re having a panic attack.”
She crossed the distance quickly, her hands already reaching for his jacket.
“Let me—just—hold still, okay?” He didn’t respond, which in itself scared her.
She gently tugged off his suit jacket, the fabric damp with sweat, and let it fall to the floor.
His breathing was shallow now, too fast, bordering on hyperventilation.
“Okay. Breathe. In… out. Come on.” She loosened his tie, her fingers brushing the rapid pulse in his neck.
Still no words. Still no recognition in his eyes. What was happening?
What in the world could have possibly triggered the panic attack?
He wasn’t claustrophobic. They’d ridden elevators before. She’d seen him in smaller spaces than this without blinking. So why now?
Was it because the elevator had stopped? That had to be it.
She crouched down with him as he dropped to the floor, one hand bracing against the wall, the other pressing into his temple like he could drill the fear out of his skull.
“Alejandro,” she whispered. “Talk to me. Look at me.
But he didn’t. Because he wasn’t here anymore.
‘What the hell are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be happy?’ She heard a distant voice in her head.
Yes, she was supposed to be. Alejandro had put her through so much that seeing him in pain was supposed to make her happy.
It would have if he wasn't having a darn panic attack.
They were the only ones in the elevator, and if anything happened to him, she was going to be the first suspect.
Even while he was suffering, he still managed to find a way to make her suffer.
Meanwhile, while Nivera was trying to get him to snap out of it, Alejandro was falling further and further as the painful memories he had locked away took over.
The scene changed from the elevator, and he found himself in a dark room.
“Hello?” He called out, and a frown appeared on his face when he realized that his voice was the voice of a child, a familiar one at that.
He was ten again, and he appeared to be in that dreaded room.
His fists immediately banged on the door. They were soft, desperate thuds from small hands.
“I’m sorry,” he cried. “Please. I won’t do it again. I promise!”
There was no response, and he continued to bang on the door, hoping someone would hear him and open the door.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw something move, and he let out a scream as he wasn't sure what it was due to it being dark.
He had heard stories of how there were snakes and rats in this room, all thanks to no one ever cleaning it, and he was more than terrified!
“Please let me out,” he sobbed, sliding down until his tiny knees hit the cold floor. “Please, I'll be a good boy…”
After what felt like forever, the door creaked open, and he flinched when he saw a tall, shadowy figure standing in the doorway.
His eyes glowed with the kind of fury only nightmares could conjure.
“What did I tell you about crying?!”
The voice was low. Lethal.
“I—I didn’t mean to—”
“You disobeyed me.” The man stepped inside. “And now you pay the price.”
Alejandro whimpered, crawling backward until his back hit the wall.
But there was nowhere to go.
Nowhere to hide.
“Look at me when I talk to you,” the man snarled. “Look at me!”
“Alejandro, come back!” Nivera’s voice sliced through the memory like a blade, and he blinked.
The walls around him weren’t painted in shadow anymore. They were golden, humming faintly with light. His breaths were still erratic, his hands trembling, but—
She was there.
Her hands on his face.
Her eyes were wide with something that looked too much like fear, but unlike the other times, she wasn't afraid of him; she was afraid for him.