The Billionaire's Dangerous Obsession (Nivera) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The door slammed shut with a finality that left the air heavy in its wake.

Nivera stood motionless for a beat, heart thundering from the whirlwind Alejandro always managed to leave behind.

Her reflection stared back at her from the glossy surface of his desk, and her eyes burned with indignation.

Her pulse refused to calm. Alejandro had stormed out without a backward glance, as if he hadn’t just pulled her into yet one of his twisted games.

What did he have against marriage anyways for him to go through such lengths to try to avoid the topic? Nivera wondered.

As she delved into her thoughts, she couldn’t help but think about how she felt when he pinned her against the wall.

She hated that she still felt the press of his body, the heat of his palm curled around her wrist. Her breath hitched, sharp and shallow.

‘No, it’s Alejandro!‘ She muttered to herself and turned away from the desk with a frustrated sigh as she began pacing from one end of the annoyingly large office to the other.

Everything in the room screamed control–Alejandro’s control. His taste, his scent, his presence, even in absence and she hated it as she was reminded of her father’s office.

She could count the number of times she had been there but it had left a deep effect on her.

‘If you continue to act this way, Nivera, none of this will become yours and you’ll be kicked out of the family.‘

Nivera exhaled shakily as she remembered her father’s words and she rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to chase away the lingering sense of vulnerability.

Those memories were locked away for a reason and she wasn’t about to ponder on them.

“I need to get out of here,” she muttered as she felt suffocated.

Nivera immediately headed for the door and yanked the handle. She froze.

It was locked.

Her eyes narrowed and he jiggled the handle again, more forcefully this time, but like the first time, it didn’t budge.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She slammed her palm against the door in annoyance.

She spun on her heel, pacing again. It was like being trapped in a very luxurious cage, and all the velvet drapes and sleek furniture couldn’t hide the fact that Alejandro had locked her in like some possession he could tuck away.

And yet, the thing that made her stomach knot wasn’t just the lock.

It was how unsurprised she was, like a part of her had expected it.

She groaned aloud, dragging her fingers through her hair, and stormed back to the desk–ready to rip the damn thing apart if it meant finding a way out..

She didn’t notice it at first, but as her eyes scanned over the surface, she spotted a charger tucked behind one of the monitor stands.

Her brows lifted. It was the same port as her phone. It however didn’t seem like a good idea to touch Alejandro’s things.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she pulled her phone from her bag and plugged it in. She needed to know what was happening.

The screen immediately lit up and her body came alive with excitement.

1/4

17:00 Wed,

Chapter 21

Nivera glanced around the room again, still pacing as the screen slowly came to life. Notifications poured in -missed calls, angry texte from her manager gossip headlines, and one message from her sister.

That wouldn’t be a good message, she thought to herself.

But before she could open any of them, the door clicked open.

Her eyes shot up. “Oh, finally, you–you arrogant, manipulative–1”

She whirled around, ready to unleash hell, her words sharp and prepped like daggers–only to halt mid–rant as it wasn’t Alejandro.

It was Antonio.

ever,

Dressed in a dark, effortlessly tailored suit, his expression was as unreadable as though one brow rose slightly at the sight of her. He didn’t say anything. Just stood there.

Nivera blinked, her mouth still half–open from the curse she hadn’t delivered. Then she groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry” she muttered. This was the second time this was happening. She needed to start verifying who it was before acting.

Antonio stepped into the room, letting the door swing shut behind him.

“Where’s Alejandro?” he asked.

His voice was clipped, low, but not hostile. Neutral, if anything, like someone simply checking off a box.

He seemed so boring and she wondered how he had managed to get a woman to say yes to marrying him.

Nivera folded her arms, leaning against the desk. “He left. Said he had a meeting.”

2

Antonio’s gaze swept over her–quick, assessing. She felt it, but not in the way she did with Alejandro. There was no heat, no unspoken tension. Just… observation. As if he was cataloging her mood and her energy.

“Typical,” he said, more to himself than to her.

Nivera narrowed her eyes slightly. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Antonio shrugged, moving to stand near the bookshelves. He didn’t sit. Of course he didn’t.

“I’m not.”

There was silence for a few seconds.

Then, to her own surprise, Nivera said, “You know, for someone who acts like the world annoys him, you’ve got decent timing.”

Antonio glanced at her, but his expression didn’t change.

“Lucky you.”

“Yeah, I’m counting my blessings,” she rolled her eyes.

It should have ended there. But instead, she found herself watching him more closely.

He moved like someone who never second–guessed anything. Controlled, but not performative. She’d met men like that before–men who operated in silence while the louder ones claimed all the attention.

He wasn’t trying to impress her. Or intimidate her. And that alone made her relax, just a little.

“You’re not much of a talker, huh?” she asked, trying to strike a conversation as he didn’t look like he was going to leave anytime soon and she didn’t

Chapter 21

want the atmosphere to be awkward.

“No.”

“Any particular reason, or just allergic to conversation?”

He looked over his shoulder, that same unreadable mask on his face. “Most people talk too much, I mean look at you.”

Okay, so it seemed insulti, the

people was a trait that ran in the Garcia family.

“So you a

avoid them all?” she probed, ignoring his words.

“When I can.”

It wasn’t much. But it was something.

She shifted, her arms lowering. “You’re not ignoring me though,” she pointed out and that got her a pause.

“Alejandro seems fond of you, I can’t ignore you,” she simply shrugged.

Fond? Nivera scoffed. More like bat shit crazy about seeking revenge.

Antonio tilted his head slightly when he noticed the look on her face. “You don’t like him?”

“No, I don’t,” she admitted, hoping he would talk some sense into his brother so he would leave her alone.

He didn’t respond right away. Then he said, “Hmm.”

“That’s it?” She blinked. “No defense of your brother?”

Antonio turned fully to face her now, arms folded. “You wouldn’t believe it if I tried.”

Nivera looked down at her phone, the charge climbing slowly, and let a small smile ghost her lips.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re the only one around here who sees him clearly?”

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