<h4>Chapter 66: Walls Again</h4>


    Eliana Bet stirred awake in the dim glow of the master suite, hershes fluttering against the light seeping through the expensive curtains. The afternoon sun crept in stubborn streaks, breaking the shadows with soft golden lines. Her body felt heavy, cocooned in warmth she wasn’t ready to leave. And it took a moment for her senses to catch up. She was still wrapped in Rafael’s arms, her cheek pressed against the firm ne of his chest, rising and falling with his steady breaths. The silk sheets tangled around them, a luxurious prison she hadn’t expected to find herself in. Blinking slowly, she tilted her head up, careful not to disturb him, and let her gaze trace the contours of his face as if trying to memorize them without waking him.


    God, he was beautiful. No, more than that—handsome in a way that stole her breath, like a sculpture carved by some divine hand. His dark wavy hair fell across his forehead in disheveled waves, softening the sharp angles of his chiseled jawline. Those steel-grey eyes, hidden behind closed lids were framed by longshes that any woman would envy. His lips, full and slightly parted in sleep, looked so inviting, and a faint stubble shadowed his cheeks, adding to thatmanding, almost dangerous allure. Eliana couldn’t help the silly smile that crept onto her face, pulling at her lips as she watched him. It was ridiculous, really—staring at her boss like this, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his cologne mixed with something uniquely him, warm and masculine, like storm clouds.


    <i>What am I doing? </i>her brain screamed in protest. This wasn’t right. She was his caregiver, not his... whatever this was. Lying here in his bed, enveloped in his strong arms that held her with surprising gentleness, felt too intimate, too forbidden. She should slip away, put distance between them before things got even moreplicated. But her heart—oh, that traitorous thing—fluttered wildly in her chest, refusing to let her move. It pounded with a strange, exhrating rhythm around Rafael, like a drumbeat she couldn’t ignore. Just a few more minutes, she told herself, her eyes lingering on the peaceful lines of his face. He looked so vulnerable in sleep, stripped of that cold, sarcastic armor he wore like a second skin.


    As she watched, mesmerized, a subtle change rippled across his features. His brows furrowed, drawing together in a deep frown, and a low groan escaped his lips. It was soft at first, almost a whisper, but it grew,ced with anguish. He shifted restlessly, his body tensing beneath her, as if invisible chains were pulling him into some dark abyss. Eliana’s heart clenched with worry. Without thinking, she lifted her hand, her slender fingers hovering for a second before gently brushing against his forehead. She tried to smooth away the crease, her touch feather-light, tracing the lines of tension as if she could erase whatever nightmare gripped him.


    "Rafael?" she murmured softly, her voice nothing but a whisper, infused with concern.


    But before she could pullback, his eyes shot open—steel-grey, sharp and unguarded for just a second before he smothered them beneath the mask of blindness. He lurched upright, drenched in cold sweat, chest rising and falling in ragged bursts. The sudden movement nearly sent Eliana stumbling, but she caught herself, one hand gripping his arm. A gasp escaped her as her curls slipped forward, spilling over her shoulder in a dark, silken fall


    "Rafael! Are you okay?" Eliana asked, her voice trembling with rm as she sat up beside him, her warm skin flushing with abination of worry and surprise. She searched his face, those expressive brown eyes wide and earnest, hoping to catch a glimpse of what haunted him.


    Rafael blinked rapidly, orienting himself in the room—the rumpled bed, the faint scent of her lingering on his skin—before responding. His voice came out rough, edged with the remnants of the dream. "I’m fine, Eliana. It was just a bad dream. Nothing more."


    But inside, the memory wed at him, refusing to release its hold. That caregiver from two years ago—Lena—her betrayal reyed in his mind like a cursed loop. The abandonment on that roaring highway, the screech of tires, the impact that had nearly ended him. It was a cold reminder of what he’d endured at the hands of those he’d trusted before. Caregivers who saw him as a vulnerable target, a billionaire prize to exploit or discard. His hands trembled slightly as he wiped the sweat from his brow, the silk sheets pooling around his waist.


    Eliana hesitated, biting her full lip, her heart aching at the vulnerability she glimpsed beneath his stoic mask. She wanted to reach out again, tofort him the way he’d unexpectedlyforted her earlier. "But... you were groaning, like you were in pain. What was it about? You can tell me, Rafael. I’m here."


    He turned his head toward her voice, not truly seeing her— or so she believed—his eyes unfocused, but in reality, they drank in every detail: the soft heart-shaped curve of her face, the hopeful smile that had faded into concern, the modest worn-out sweater that clung to her slender frame with natural elegance. For a fleeting moment, warmth flickered in his chest, but suspicion doused it like ice water. What if she was just like the others? Lena had seemed kind too, patient and untainted, until she wasn’t. Eliana could be better at the game—her over-trusting nature a perfect disguise for ulterior motives. The thought made his head throb, a dull ache pulsing behind his temples, as if his mind rebelled against the paranoia that had kept him alive.


    Before she could press further, Rafael’s walls mmed back into ce. His voice suddenly turned cold, "Eliana, I need you to leave my room. James will take you to see your father. Go now."


    She blinked, stunned, her body freezing in ce. The shift was so abrupt, like a storm cloud swallowing the sun. "What? Rafael, I... did I do something wrong? You were holding me just a moment ago, and now—"


    "Hurry up and leave," he interrupted, his tone sharpening,ced with impatience. He gestured vaguely toward the door, his athletic build tensing under the crisp designer shirt that hade untucked in sleep. "I want to be alone. Now."


    Eliana’s chest tightened, confusion swirling with hurt. She hadn’t understood the sudden chill; one minute, she was lost in the intimacy of watching him, and the next, he was pushing her away like she was an intruder. Her brain raced, reying their moments together—the way his arms had felt so safe, his scent still clinging to her skin. What had changed? "Rafael, please, talk to me. If it’s about the dream, I can help. I don’t want to leave you like this."


    "Leave immediately!" he yelled, his voice booming through the suite, echoing off the walls like thunder. The sarcasm that usuallyced his words was gone, reced by raw frustration born from his inner turmoil.


    Eliana yelped, a sharp, startled sound escaping her lips as she scrambled off the bed, her worn-out sweater tangling briefly around her legs. Her heart pounded in her ears, a mix of fear and bewilderment flooding her. She cast onest nce at him—his face a mask of regret flickering beneath the anger—before bolting for the door, her footsteps soft but hurried on the plush carpet. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the room in heavy silence.


    Rafael sank back against the pillows, his hands fisting the sheets as immediate regret washed over him like ocean waves. Damn it, he hadn’t meant to yell, hadn’t wanted to see that yelp of surprise on her face, the way her expressive eyes had widened in hurt. Eliana wasn’t like the others; deep down, he knew that. Her kindness wasn’t a facade—it radiated from her, warm and genuine, cracking the walls he’d built so meticulously. But the nightmare had reopened old wounds, and trust... trust was a fragile thing he couldn’t afford to shatter again. He needed to be alone, to think, to sort through the chaos in his mind. The empire he ruled, the secrets he guarded—they all demanded his caution. Yet, as he stared sightlessly at the ceiling—pretending even to himself—his thoughts drifted back to her hopeful smile, and a pang of longing twisted in his chest.


    Outside the door, Eliana paused in the hallway, her back against the cool wood, breathing deeply to steady herself. What had just happened? Her mind whirled with questions, but her heart—still fluttering strangely—whispered that there was more to Rafael than his cold exterior. She smoothed down her curls, forcing a steady smile before slipping into her room to freshen up. A quick shower and change into clean clothester, she drew in a breath and stepped out, making her way toward the foyer where James was waiting. Visiting her father would ground her, remind her of who she was. But as she walked away, she couldn’t shake the image of Rafael’s tormented face, nor the silly smile she’d worn while watching him sleep. Whatever this was between them, it was far from over.


    Rafael remained in the bed, the room feeling emptier without her presence. The scent of her—something soft and floral, like wildflowers in spring—lingered on the pillows, mocking his istion. He rubbed his temples, the headache intensifying as memories of past betrayals collided with the budding hope Eliana inspired. "What are you doing to me?" he muttered to the empty air, his voice low and ragged. Part of him wanted to call her back, to apologize, to let her smooth away the frowns not just in sleep but in waking life. But the puppet master in him held firm. He had faked blindness and paralysis to expose greed; now, he wondered if he was faking detachment to protect a heart that had started beating again.


    In the distance, he heard the faint sound of a car engine revving—James preparing to take her away. Regret gnawed deeper, but he didn’t move. Solitude was his armor, even if it chafed. For now, he would think, n, and perhaps—against all his better judgment—hope that Eliana was the one who could finally set him free.


    Eliana slid into the back seat of the ck car, James nodding politely from the driver’s seat. "Ready to see your father, Miss Bet?"


    She forced a nod, her voice steady despite the turmoil. "Yes, James. Thank you." As the car pulled away from the mansion, she nced back at the towering structure, wondering about the man inside. "Rafael... what secrets are you hiding?" she whispered to herself, her fingers tracing the window ss. The drive stretched ahead, but her thoughts remained tangled in that bedroom, in the arms of a man who both pushed her away and pulled her closer.


    Back in the suite, Rafael finally rose, his tall frame creating a long shadow across the floor. He moved to the window, "staring" out at the manicured grounds below, though his mind’s eye reyed Eliana’s concerned face. "Damn dream," he growled, punching the wall lightly in frustration. The pain grounded him, a reminder that vulnerability was a luxury for fools. Yet, as the afternoon light faded, he couldn’t deny the crack in his walls—widening with every thought of her.