Chapter 10 ۵ Touch

YARA'S POV

The house was overwhelming, with its marble floors that practically sparkled under the soft lighting and walls covered in expensive looking art. Everything was so pristine, so perfect.

Before I could gather my thoughts, I heard quick, light footsteps approaching. Suddenly, Elena came bouncing into the room, her face lighting up as soon as she saw me.

"Yara!" she squealed, her voice high pitched and excited, as if she hadn't seen me in years. She ran straight into my arms, nearly knocking me off balance with her excitement "You're hereeeee!" I stiffened at first knowing that the devil was watching my every move but her sheer joy was infectious. I found myself hugging her back, her small frame trembling with excitement.

"I'm so happy you came! I convinced dad" she beamed, pulling back just enough to look up at me with wide, shining eyes. "You look so pretty! I wish you could come over every day!" She giggled.

"I wish I could too Elena" I said, still trying to manage a smile despite the unease gnawing at my stomach. Elena grinned, clearly pleased with herself. For a moment, it was easy to forget where we were, to just focus on her innocent happiness. But then I felt Mr Moreno's presence behind me, and reality came crashing back.

"Come" he said, his voice cold and commanding. I turned to see him standing there, his expression as hard as ever, though his eyes seemed darker, more intense, as they met mine.

We followed him to the dining room, where an elegant table was set with more silverware than I knew what to do with. Elena plopped down beside me, still chatting away, her feet swinging under the table like she couldn't contain her energy.

"I'm going to eat all the food!" she declared, giggling as she reached for her glass of water with both hands. "And then maybe I can have ice cream after, right, daddy?"

Mr Moreno gave her a tight lipped smile "Of course El" he said, his tone flat. He hadn't taken his eyes off me, and it was making it hard to breathe.

Dinner started quietly, with only the clinking of utensils and Elena's occasional bursts of chatter to fill the silence. I tried to focus on my plate, but every time I looked up, Mr Moreno was watching me, his gaze sharp and unsettling.

"So, Yara" he began, his voice cutting through the relative quiet "How are your studies going? Are you keeping up with everything?"

I hesitated, unsure if this was a genuine question or another trap to make me feel like shit "They're going well, thanks......" I said quietly.

"Good" he said, though there was no warmth in his tone "It's important to stay focused, especially for someone like you"

Someone like me. The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. I forced myself to stay calm, to not let his subtle dig get under my skin.

Elena, oblivious to the tension, started talking again. "Yara, I wish you were living with me and daddy! Then we could play together every day, and I wouldn't have to be alone all the time" My heart ached a little at that, at how innocent and open she was "I'd like that, too" I said, trying to keep my voice light.

Elena's face brightened even more. "Really? That would be so fun! We could have sleepovers and tell secrets and—"

"Elena, eat your dinner, mi amor (my love in Spanish) " Mr Moreno interrupted, his voice sharper than before. So he was Spanish.

Elena pouted, but obediently picked up her fork. She turned to me, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Maybe we can have a sleepover sometime, just you and me. I'll ask dad." I forced a smile, nodding, though the idea of spending more time in this house was the last thing I wanted.

Dinner dragged on, with Mr. Moreno steering the conversation into uncomfortable territory every chance he got. He asked about my plans, about how I was handling the pressure of school, each question laced with a subtle condescension that made me feel smaller with every word. He kept his tone polite, but there was a venom behind his words that was impossible to ignore.

Elena, thankfully seemed completely unaware of the tension between us. She kept talking, mostly to me, about her day, about the books she was reading, and all the things she wanted to do together. I nodded and smiled when I could, but it was getting harder to keep up the facade when Professor Moreno was digging daggers into me with his strong gaze.

Eventually, Elena started to yawn, her eyelids drooping as she leaned into me "I'm sleepy" she mumbled, her voice thick with exhaustion.

Mr Moreno stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. "Come Elena. You have to be up early tomorrow"

Elena pouted but didn't argue. She hugged me tightly, her small arms wrapping around me like a vice "night, Yara" she whispered, "Please come back soon"

"I'll try, I promise Elena" I whispered back, stroking her hair. "Goodnight" She gave me one last sleepy smile before Mr Moreno picked her up in his arms and led her away, leaving me alone in the dining room.

The silence that followed was suffocating. I could feel the tension building, the air thick with unspoken words. When Mr Moreno returned, his expression was unreadable, but his eyes were darker than ever, filled with something that made my pulse quicken in a way that had nothing to do with fear.

He didn't sit back down. Instead, he stood across the table from me, his gaze locked onto mine, pinning me in place.

"Now that we're alone" he began, his voice low, almost a whisper "there's something I want to discuss with you"

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. The intensity in his gaze made it impossible to look away.

The silence between us was almost unbearable. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Mr. Moreno, waiting for him to speak. He remained standing, his presence looming over me like a storm cloud, the intensity in his eyes making it clear that whatever was coming next would not be easy to handle.

His voice icy "Yara" I didn't nod my head I just continued to look at his captivating demeanour "You've been getting close to Elena" He took a step closer, moving around the dining table, his gaze never leaving mine "Too close, Malik"

I tensed, unsure where this was going. "She's a sweet girl Sir" I replied carefully, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay calm "She's has no one"

His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile "You think you're doing her a favor, don't you? Being her friend, giving her attention. But what you don't understand is that Elena doesn't need friends. She needs to understand boundaries"

"Boundaries?" I echoed, confused. "What do you mean?"

He circled the table, slowly, deliberately, like a predator stalking its prey. "You're giving her hope. False hope. She's getting attached to you in a way that isn't healthy. You're filling a role that isn't yours to fill"

"Yeah you know what you're right, it should be her father and mother's role to fill, not mine. Your wife is an alcoholic who treats Elena like shit. And you, you're too busy with work to even bat an eye towards her" I protested, my voice cracking.

My fiery confidence fading soon when he stopped "you think you know everything, Hm?" I could tell his anger was creeping up on him "Her mother isn't my bloody wife I would never marry a fuck up like that so don't act like you know shit about me Yara" I could see his muscles tensing and his jaw clenching as he tried to get rid of the flame of anger running though him.

He closed his eyes, his anger slightly subdued "follow me" he spoke lightly. I didn't dare to disobey so I did exactly that. He led me to a room and empty room by the looks of it. It had no bedding, nothing at all on the bedside table was a picture of a man and a baby. Mr Moreno picked up the photo staring at him intently. I assumed the baby was Elena, but who was the man holding her?

"She's not mines" he murmured.....what was he on about?

"W-what do you mean?"

"Elena isn't my child" I was shocked. The girl who admires her dad doesn't even belong to him.

"So whose child is she then?" My brows were furrowed, I was confused as to what he was telling me.

"She's my niece Yara, she's not my biological child" I looked up at him with many questions to ask but I didn't know what one to start with. So I just kept silent, waiting for him to carry on.

"Sit down" he instructed.

"This was my brother Emiliano's room........." was? What happened to his brother?

"My older brother passed away a few years ago. He was involved in some business with the Spanish mafia. They killed killed him and spared his baby, Elena. His wife came running to me, she wanted me to look after Elena and I did. She soon became an alcoholic and neglected Elena. I raised Elena, I gave her a home, I gave her everything she's ever wanted so don't you dare act like this is my fault Yara" his jaw was clenched involuntarily.

"I-I didn't know Mr Moreno i'm so sorry for your loss" I didn't know what to say it's like he just revealed his biggest secret to me.

I quickly changed the subject sensing that he didn't like my pity for him "Does Elena know about this?" he nodded his head "Hm, she knows what happened to her biological father and she knows I'm not her actual dad" he spoke plainly.

"You know, you're a good father Mr Moreno, I'm sorry for what I said before but she's lonely, she needs someone" I said trying to calm the nerves pulsing through my veins.

He stopped, his face suddenly inches from mine, the tension between us almost tangible. "And what about you, Yara? What do you need? Why do you think you're so desperate to be needed by someone else? What are you trying to prove?" I felt my face flush with anger, a wave of heat rising to my cheeks. "I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm just-"

"Just what?" he cut in sharply, his tone icy "Just trying to make up for something? Trying to forget about your own loneliness by playing the savior? Is that it Malik?" The words  had caught my tongue. How could he see so clearly into the parts of myself that I didn't even want to acknowledge? I wanted to argue, to fight back, but the truth in his accusations left me speechless.

"You don't know anything about me" I managed to whisper, the anger in my voice undermined by the quiver in my tone. My eyes were going watery "Oh, but I do" he replied, leaning in closer, his breath warm against my skin "I know exactly who you are, Yara. A lonely, desperate little girl, craving connection but too afraid to admit it. Afraid to let anyone see how vulnerable you really are, no?" He spoke with mockery lacing every inch of his tone. My eyes were so close to uncontrollably pooling with tears.

"I....I should go" I stammered, wiping away a lone tear that had betrayed me. I tried to push myself up from the bed but before I could move, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist and holding me in place with a grip that was firm and painful.

"You're not going anywhere, Malik" he said, his voice soft but laced with steel "Not until we finish this conversation" I was frozen, trapped by the intensity of his gaze, the power in his words. I felt like a mouse caught in the jaws of a lion, helpless and terrified, but unable to look away. The pain in my wrist faded away as I focused on his dark voice and devilish expression that played on him.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. The fear and confusion were overwhelming, clouding my thoughts.

Mr Moreno's expression softened, but it wasn't a comforting kind of softness, it was the calm before the storm. "I want you to understand your place, Yara. I want you to understand that you can't just walk into people's lives and think you can fix them, or that they can fix you" His hand loosened on my wrist, but he didn't let go. Instead, he slowly traced his thumb along my skin, his touch sending a shiver down my spine.

"And most of all" he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper "I want you to understand that you can't play with fire without getting burned"

There was something dark, almost dangerous in his eyes, a look that made my heart race in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. But mixed with the fear and confusion, there was something else, something that both terrified and intrigued me.

"I.....I don't know what you mean" I said, though the words felt hollow, like a lie I was telling myself.

He leaned in closer, so close that our faces were nearly touching "Yes, you do" he whispered, his breath hot against my cheek "You know exactly what I mean. You feel it, don't you? The tension?" I wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn't. The truth was, there had always been something dark and dangerous between us, something I couldn't explain or understand.

His fingers moved to my neck with a firm grip, I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help the way my body responded to him, the way my heart pounded and my skin tingled under his touch.

His other hand came up to my face, his fingers roughly brushing against my cheek, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. "You should leave" he said, though his tone was anything but dismissive. It was a challenge, a dare. I didn't move. I couldn't. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to run, to get out while I still could, but I was rooted to the spot, my body betraying me.

"Yara" he murmured huskily, his voice sending a shiver down my spine "Tell me to stop" he spoke, his voice was low and his face came even closer. I couldn't tell him to stop. The words were stuck in my throat, tangled up in the whirlwind of emotions that were spinning out of control.

Instead of pushing him away, I found myself leaning in closer to him as his breath fanned against my lips.  The world around me faded away, and all that was left was the heat of his touch, the darkness in his eyes, and the pounding of my own heart. Why did I feel like this towards him, he hated me and I hated him. At least I thought so. Why did I want to feel his touch so badly, why did he make me feel so good now when previously all he ever did was make me feel like was a worthless piece of shit. I hated him for making my body betray me. I hated him.

And then, in the space of a heartbeat, everything changed. He pulled back, the warmth on my face left and his hands dropped away from my face as he straightened up, the intensity in his gaze replaced by something cold and unreadable. It was like his hatred for me was back.

"Go" he said, his voice flat, almost bored "I'll have my driver take you back to university" he stated plainly, putting his blazer back on. It was scary how quickly his whole demeanour changed. My breath was heavy, I was beyond confused as to what had just happened. I blinked, stunned by the sudden shift. For a moment, I just sat there, too shocked to move. But then the reality of what had just happened started to sink in, and I felt a wave of humiliation and anger wash over me. This was just another way of him getting to humiliate me, making me feel worthless. And I fell for it, the hot tears pricked my eyes again. Without another word, I stood up, my legs trembling as I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. I didn't look back and let him see the tears that were starting to waterfall down my face.

As I walked out of the house and into the cool night air, I felt a deep sense of confusion and shame. I had no idea what had just happened, or why I had let it go so far. But one thing was clear, I couldn't let myself be drawn back into his world. No matter how much I might be tempted, no matter how strong the pull, I had to stay away.

Because I knew, deep down, that getting too close to Mr Moreno was like playing with fire.

The journey home all I could think about was his rough touch on my skin, how I didn't hate it when I should've. I hated myself for falling for his trap.

A/N

it's slowly getting a little spicier hehe. Anyways guys please vote and comment <3