The Billionaire's Dangerous Obsession - Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Alejandro leaned back in his leather chair, tapping the pen against the last form he’d just signed.
His palms tingled with business as usual—the steady inhale and one which carried power in every breath.
His secretary, clipped and efficient, shifted a stack toward him.
“Sir, your accounts already reflect Miss Elton’s purchases.” She set a tablet beside his desk and swiped. A list of transactions appeared: hundreds of thousands spent on clothes, accessories, and a bunch of things he didn't bother to read.
Alejandro glanced, and a slow smile curved his lips. He stared at the numbers, curious amusement flickering in his eyes.
Knowing Nivera, he knew how her mind worked. Did she really think she could make a dent in his fortune? He chuckled inwardly. What a foolish notion—but amusing nonetheless.
“Is that everything?” he asked, his tone mild, almost playful, as he got up from his seat. It was already closing hours, and he needed to get ready for the function.
The secretary nodded.
He then signed the last document, straightened, and grabbed his jacket.
“Send me tomorrow’s schedule,” he said as he headed for the door. “We’re done here.”
In the silent pause, Alejandro reached for his own phone and slipped it into his pocket. Then he headed toward the elevator, steps measured, purposeful.
Moments later, crossing into the elevator with a faint ding, he pressed a button and dialed the driver’s number. The doors closed, his reflection echoing behind him.
“Is Nivera back home?” He asked after the driver answered the call.
“No, sir. Miss Elton is still at the mall. She hasn’t come down,” he heard the driver say.
He paused, and an odd silence filled the metal box.
“I’ll be there shortly. If she comes out, tell her I'll drive her home.”
The driver responded, after which he disconnected the call.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he sighed. There was no reason for him to drive all the way to the mall to pick her up, but here he was going to do so.
“It's because I want to trouble her,” he muttered to himself. Yes, that was it, and not because he hadn't seen her all day, he kept repeating to himself as he stepped out of the elevator.
The mall parking lot was calm; lights reflected on polished stone as Alejandro stepped out of his car.
The driver, on seeing his car, immediately got out of the car. “She's not out yet?”
“No, sir, not yet.”
A frown appeared on Alejandro's face as his warning radars began to go off, and his intrusive thoughts began to kick in.
No, there was nothing that could happen to her inside. That was why he had specifically chosen this mall.
It was one owned by his family, and so he knew of the top-notch security that was in place.
He became distracted when his phone rang, and he saw that it was a business call, one he couldn't ignore.
He answered it. Almost towards the end of the call, he sensed Nivera. He didn't even know what the fuck that meant, but all he knew was Nivera was close.
And his intuition was confirmed, as when he turned, he saw Nivera approaching him.
Goodness, she looked so beautiful with the way her hair was tied up into a messy bun. She didn't have to try too hard to look beautiful.
“Hmm, yeah, I'm with you,” he said to the caller as he momentarily got distracted.
When she was close, he took a step towards her. However, as she got closer to him, he noticed something that he hadn't noticed while she was at a distance.
She had a red, angry swollen mark on the left side of her cheek, which looked like the aftereffect of being slapped.
His blood immediately boiled, and he saw red. He himself would never dream of touching Nivera, who was the soon-to-be unfortunate bastard that laid a hand on his woman.
“I'll call you back,” he said and disconnected the call, not caring if the caller got offended.
The moment he reached her, he placed a palm on her cheek. Gentle, trembling even. His voice was low but carrying.
“Who?” He paused to gather his thoughts and keep his anger under control. “Did this to you?” He asked as he observed her cheek.
However, Nivera didn't respond. Instead, she stared at him like he had two heads.
“Who. Did. This. To. You?” He repeated his question, each word sounding like metal.
She flinched, and the air between them tightened as he was taken back to that moment in time.
One of the memories he had locked away slipped through, and normally that would have affected him, but not now.
Nivera was much more important.
“I… it’s nothing,” she muttered. She looked up at him—something between guilt and fear there. Confusion, too.
He opened his mouth so he could get the truth from her, but he stopped when he noticed a small flash.
From the corner of his eyes, he noticed someone taking photos of them. Damn the fucking paparazzi, or was it just a crazy fan?
He didn't know, and he didn't care to want to know.
Without wasting time, he took Nivera's hand and directed her to the passenger side of the car. “Get in.” Authority low, calm—but impossible to argue with.
She quickly slid into the seat, settling into the curves of the leather. He then closed the door behind her without another word.
Inside the car, it smelt like leather conditioner and evening air, a scent that was supposed to calm the mind, but they did nothing to calm Nivera down.
Moments later, Alejandro slid into the driver’s seat, and after helping her to buckle her seatbelt, he started the car.
The engine hummed to life, and he immediately drove out of the parking lot.
Nivera stared at him—afraid to see what came next. Was he furious about the spending? Furious that someone struck her, making her face unpresentable for the function tonight?
“Why are you staring at me like that?” He asked quietly, and she quickly averted her eyes, her mouth dry.
She stuck to staring out the window for the rest of the ride while battling her raging thoughts.
Thanks to the fact that there was no traffic, they arrived back at the mansion in no time.
Back at the mansion, the driveway lights illuminated the path, and she watched as he parked.
He then stepped out, quieter now than he'd entered. Making his way to the other side of the car, he opened the door and extended a hand.
Nivera took it, feeling the sturdy contact flow through her.
He closed the door behind her, then guided her inside, after which he led the way through polished floors to the kitchen.
Nivera wondered what they were doing there, and her question was answered moments later when he headed to the fridge and took an ice pack from it.
Returning, he gently placed it against her cheek. She winced but let him.
“I can—”
He hushed her by laying a finger against her lips. “No. “Hold still.”
She crushed the lingering protest behind a breath and let him.
It was intimate in a way that unsettled her, as once again, this was Alejandro becoming unpredictable.
As he kept the compress on, his jaw clenched, and his eyes drifted down to her lips and drifted back to her wound.
“Who did this?” he repeated.
Knowing she couldn't escape the question, she closed her eyes and sighed. “Just… some women at the store.”
“Which store?”
She swallowed hard. “The Milanda Boutique”.
He squinted his eyes, but he didn't say anything, and the ice pack stayed pressed.
“They didn’t know who I was,” she lied. “They just… said awful things.”
Memories flooded again: the spitting of “slut”, that punch, her mother’s entrance, her mother’s words.
Her mother has already handled them. Getting Alejandro involved was like signing their death warrant.
“You know I can tell when you lie, right?” She heard Alejandro say.