Chapter 13 ۵ Help

YARA'S POV

The next morning, I woke up with puffy eyes and a pounding headache. My body was heavy, and my mind was clouded with memories of the previous night. The sun barely peeked through the thick curtains of my room, casting a dull light that did nothing to lift the oppressive weight on my chest. Every time I thought of Mr. Moreno, a nauseating mixture of anger and shame twisted my stomach.

How could he do that to me? My own professor......wasn't this against some sort of guideline they have? I thought to myself.

The way his hands had pinned me, his lips had taken mine so aggressively without care, it wasn't something I could simply forget. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the weight of him, the cold, possessive grip that lingered on my skin. I had never felt so small, so powerless. The bruises on my wrist were a constant reminder of the pure aggression he had on my body.

I wanted to get away. I couldn't stay in this stupid mansion any longer, I knew that staying here would only make things worse for me. But what could I do? I was bound by the agreement to care for Elena, and leaving would mean abandoning her. I couldn't do that to her, not after seeing the light in her eyes when I arrived. She needed me. I couldn't let her down, not like this.

After forcing myself out of bed, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the exhaustion and fear that clung to me. But no amount of water could rinse away the way he had made me feel. I dressed quickly, opting for a loose sweater and jeans, anything that made me feel covered, safe. I drowned myself in concealer on all the places where bruises had formed.

As I stepped into the hallway, my body tensed instinctively. I quietly made my way downstairs, hoping to avoid him. Maybe he had already left for the day. The thought of seeing him made my heart race, but I needed to keep my composure for Elena's sake. I couldn't even go to university because of him, my life was going to waste because of his selfish need to make me feel worthless.

In the kitchen, Elena was waiting for me, her face lighting up the moment I appeared. She looked so innocent, so unaware of the chaos swirling just beneath the surface of this mansion.

"Yara!" she chirped, running over to me with a huge smile, a hug and a kiss "I've been waiting for you! Can we go outside today? I wanna play in the garden!" Her joy was contagious, and despite everything, I couldn't help but smile back at her. "Of course, Elena. We can spend the whole day in the garden if you want"

I set to work preparing her breakfast, my hands moving painfully as my mind wandered back to the night before. Every sound, every creak of the floorboards made my heart skip a beat, terrified that Mr. Moreno would walk in and continue his cruel manipulative, devilish game.

But he didn't.

Not yet......

The morning passed in relative peace, with Elena's laughter filling the garden as we played together. For those few hours, I almost managed to forget where I was, almost managed to forget the suffocating power he held over me. But it didn't last long.

By the time the sun began to dip toward the horizon, I knew I couldn't avoid him any longer. He had come back from work, probably sitting in his office. I had to face him. Summoning every ounce of courage I had, I made my way to his office. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear the faint sound of papers being shuffled. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open and stepped inside.

He was sitting at his desk, his head bent over some documents, his expression calm, far too calm, given what had happened between us. He didn't even look up when I entered, but I knew he was aware of my presence. The tension in the room thickened, wrapping around me like a vice.

I cleared my throat, forcing the words out "Mr Moreno?"

Finally, he lifted his head, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine with that same cold, predatory intensity "Hm?" he asked, his tone casual, almost mocking.

"Last night... it can't happen again. O-Ok?"

He raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair as if I were nothing more than a mild amusement to him "Is that so?"

I swallowed, my pulse quickening under his gaze "Yes. I didn't want that, Mr Moreno. I didn't ask for it, and you had no right-"

"I had every right" he interrupted, his voice low and dangerous "You're in my house, under my rules. Don't forget that"

His words sent a chill down my spine, but I refused to back down. I couldn't let him intimidate me into silence again "This isn't about your rules. This is about respect. You don't own me"

His eyes darkened, and he stood, his imposing figure towering over me as he approached. Each step he took made my heart race, but I stood my ground, refusing to let him see how much he terrified me.

"You're here because I allow it" he reminded softly, his voice dripping with menace "And as long as you're under my roof, you'll do as I say. I could make things very difficult for you if I wanted" The threat was clear, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. He was right,he held all the power here. He could ruin me, and there would be nothing I could do to stop him.

"You don't scare me" I lied, my voice barely a whisper.

He smirked, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from my face, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me "oh yeah?" He lightly grinned. I flinched away from his touch, stepping back as my pulse raced in my ears. I couldn't let him win, couldn't let him see how much he affected me.

"I'm serious" I said, my voice shaking despite my efforts to stay calm "I'm not your plaything Mr Moreno, i'm your student. I'm not here for your entertainment and if that's what you want then I suggest you go find a brothel" His smirk faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look "You're right" he said after a long pause, his voice soft but deadly "You're not here for my entertainment. You're here for one reason, and one reason only, to do as I say. And if you forget that again, I'll make sure you regret it Yara"

His words hung in the air, a promise of pain and suffering that sent a wave of fear crashing over me. But I refused to let it show. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Without another word, I turned and left the room, my heart pounding in my chest as I made my way back to my room. I had stood up to him, but I knew this was far from over.

Mr. Moreno wasn't the kind of man who took defiance lightly, and I had no doubt he would make me pay for it.

🎀🎀🎀

I was seething inside, all I could do now was let my anger out on the vegetables I was slicing. His arrogance, his assumption that I was here by his mercy, grated against every fiber of my being. I wanted to snap back, to say something that would wipe that smug smirk off his face, but before I could muster the courage, I felt a sharp sting on my finger.

I winced, glancing down. In my frustration, I had accidentally lost control of the knife. A thin line of blood welled up from the cut on my index finger. Great.

I quickly tried to hide my hand, turning slightly away from Professor Moreno who had just walked into the kitchen but of course, Mr  Moreno noticed. His dark eyes zeroed in on the cut instantly.

"Give me your hand" he said, his voice losing some of its harshness. There was an unexpected flicker of concern in his gaze, but I didn't trust it. Not for a second.

"I'm fine" I muttered, but he was already stepping toward me.

"Let me see" he demanded, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument.

I hesitated, my instincts screaming to back away, but the sudden shift in his demeanor caught me off guard. There was no malice in his expression, no trace of the predator I had faced last night. Still, I couldn't bring myself to trust him, not after everything.

"I said I'm fine" I insisted, taking a step back, but he reached out and gently grabbed my wrist, stopping me. His grip was firm, but not painful, unlike last night.

"Stop being stubborn Yara" he said, his voice low."Let me help you"

I swallowed hard, torn between pulling away and letting him. It wasn't like I had a choice, his hold on my wrist wasn't one I could easily shake off. With a sigh, I relented, allowing him to pull my hand toward him.

He examined the cut closely, his brow furrowing. Without a word, he walked over to a small cabinet in the corner of the kitchen. He grabbed a box from inside. From the box he pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and some gauze, and before I could protest, he was holding me from my waist, lifting me up onto the countertop. Carefully taking my hand again. I felt my skin prickle under his touch, a strange contrast to the harshness I'd come to expect from him. His movements were surprisingly gentle as he cleaned the wound. His body standing in between my legs.

I watched him in silence, trying to make sense of this moment. His eyes were focused, almost soft in the way they studied the cut, his usual harshness replaced by something I couldn't quite read. Was it genuine care? No, that couldn't be it. This man didn't care about anything but power.

"You think I don't notice how much you hate being here. How much you hate me" he spoke whilst cleaning up the cut.

I glanced up at him, startled by the honesty in his tone. He was still focused on my finger, wrapping it in gauze now, but his words lingered in the air.

"It's not like you've given me any reason to feel otherwise"

He finished wrapping my hand and looked down at me, his eyes locking with mine. There was something different in them, something unsettling. It wasn't the usual coldness I was used to, this was something deeper, something that made my breath catch in my throat.

"I don't expect you to like me Yara. I want you to hate me" he said quietly, releasing my hand and stepping back. Was this one of his weird tactics to gain power, get everyone to hate him?

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. There was something unspoken behind them, a truth he wasn't ready to share, but I wasn't about to ask. I was too confused, too wary of the sudden shift in his demeanor.

I glanced down at my finger, now neatly bandaged, and swallowed the lump in my throat.

The man who had tormented me last night, who had reveled in making me feel small and powerless, had just bandaged my hand with more care than I would have expected from anyone in this house. It didn't make sense. But then again, nothing about Mr Moreno made sense.

The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. He was putting the first-aid kit away, his movements deliberate, almost too calm. I could feel the distance between us, an invisible barrier we both knew existed, yet neither of us acknowledged.

Then, out of nowhere, his voice cut through the silence, low but firm "don't call me Mr Moreno from now on"

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden demand. My head snapped up to meet his gaze, unsure if I'd heard him right. "What?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but I knew he'd heard me. He turned, his dark eyes locking onto mine, the intensity in them making my stomach twist. He took a step closer, and for a second, I felt my breath catch in my throat "Use my forename, Alejandro" I could feel my heart pounding as the words sank in. Alejandro. His name. It felt.....wrong, somehow. After everything, after how he'd treated me, how he'd humiliated me, the idea of using his first name felt like I'd be giving him something more personal, something I wasn't ready to offer. And yet, here he was, standing so close, watching me with those sharp, unreadable eyes, waiting for me to respond.

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. My mind was racing. Was this another one of his games? Another way to exert control over me? Or was this something else entirely? His face betrayed nothing, but there was a flicker in his eyes, something I hadn't seen before. It wasn't softness, but it wasn't the cold indifference I'd come to expect either.

"I......I don't-" I started, but the words caught in my throat.

His expression hardened, his jaw tightening as he closed the distance between us "You don't get to refuse this, Yara" he said, his voice low and dangerous.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his presence. The way he said my name, it sent a shiver down my spine, though I couldn't quite understand why. There was something so final about the way he said it, as if my compliance was non-negotiable.

"Alejandro" I said quietly, practicing the name. It felt foreign, unfamiliar. I almost hated the way it rolled off my lips, as if I were conceding to something more than just a name.

He didn't smile, but I saw the satisfaction in his eyes. He stepped back slightly, giving me just a fraction more space, though the tension remained "That's better" he murmured, his voice soft but laced with authority.

I looked away, my heart still racing, feeling unsettled by this sudden shift between us. He had always been Mr Moreno to me, distant, cold, unreachable. But now, calling him Alejandro felt like I had crossed a line I didn't even realize was there.

And something told me that from this moment on, things between us would never be the same.

After that tense moment, Alejandro left the kitchen without another word, disappearing down the hallway and leaving me alone to sit in the thick silence. I sat there for a few minutes, staring at the spot where he had been standing, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. My heart was still pounding, and the feeling of his presence lingered in the room, like a shadow that refused to leave.

Eventually, I slipped off the counter and moved to rinse my hand under cool water, careful not to wet the fresh bandage. The sting of the cut was still there, but duller now, replaced by a strange sense of unease. Alejandro. I still couldn't believe I'd called him by his first name, as if that simple act had opened a door I wasn't sure I wanted to walk through.

I dried my hands and turned, ready to head back upstairs to check on Elena, when I heard soft footsteps coming down the hallway. Expecting it to be Alejandro again, I tensed, but to my relief, it was Elena who appeared in the doorway, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Yara?" she mumbled, her voice groggy "I had a bad dream"

My heart softened instantly, and I walked over to her, kneeling down to her level "Oh, sweetheart" I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face "It's okay. I'm here. Do you want me to tuck you back in?" Elena nodded, still clutching the stuffed bear she never went anywhere without. I stood and took her hand, guiding her back to her room. The house was quiet, almost eerily so, and I couldn't help but wonder where Alejandro had gone. It was strange, despite everything, I found myself thinking about him, wondering what had caused that sudden shift in our dynamic.

When we reached Elena's room, I tucked her back under the blankets and sat on the edge of her bed. "Do you want to tell me about your dream?" I asked softly, stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

She shook her head, her eyes already drooping. "It was scary" she murmured. "But I feel better now" she said squeezing my hand with her tiny fingers.

"Good" I whispered, smiling gently.

A few minutes went by and within moments, her breathing had evened out, and she was fast asleep. I watched her for a little while, my heart swelling with affection. She was the one bright spot in this strange, twisted situation I found myself in, and I was grateful for her presence.

After a few minutes, I stood up and quietly left the room, closing the door behind me. Turning a corner my would nearly left my body when I abruptly bumped into a head chest, Alejandro's hard chest.

I paused in the corridor, my breath catching. I looked up at him and stepped back, his expression was unreadable as his dark eyes followed my every movement. "S-sorr-" he cut me off "You're good with her" he said quietly, his voice low and smooth. The compliment caught me off guard, especially coming from him.

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I simply nodded. I wanted to leave as soon as possible but brushing past him wasn't so easy.

Alejandro's eyes flickered with something I couldn't place. He stepped closer, just close enough for the air between us to feel charged again "You care about her Yara" he said, his voice barely above a whisper "Even her own mother didn't give a shit about her"

My pulse quickened at his proximity, the intensity of his presence almost overwhelming "She's a child Mr M- Alejandro" I said softly, my voice trembling slightly. "Of course I care about her"

He studied me for a moment, as if weighing my words "Why? You barely even know her" he replied, his voice dark and edged with something I couldn't quite name.

"She's a sweet kid Alejandro and besides I wouldn't be any good at the job you've given me if I neglected her" I said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"Right" he murmured before walking away.

A/N

Enjoy!!!!