CAMILA ORTEGA'S POINT OF VIEW
Tension permeates the room. My heart feels like it's trying to get out of my chest because it's beating so quickly. Diego watches me from the other side of the table, but I try not to look at him. Like a predator observing its prey, his eyes are icy and piercing. The weight of his eyes on me makes my stomach turn, but I can't take my eyes off of him. I'd prefer not to. However, I also don't want to be here.
Diego's deep, authoritative voice pierces the quiet. "Sit down."
I don't argue. By now, I've realized that doing so will only exacerbate the situation. I take a seat at the long dining table slowly. I try to keep my breathing steady because the room feels cold. As usual, he is preparing dinner for me. He never lets go of me. I don't know how to combat it, even though I detest it.
His eyes dart over me as he reclines in his chair, as if I were a puzzle tha

CAMILA ORTEGA POINT OF VIEW
I'm having trouble breathing. My pulse is pounding in my ears, and the night is oppressive. I can't get Raúl's warning out of my head. "Camila, you are free to depart tonight. Have faith in me.
How can I trust him, though? Diego's eyes are constantly watching me and managing every aspect of my life, so how can I trust anyone? Even when he's not there, I can sense his presence. I feel both fear and a glimmer of hope that I might be able to escape when I consider doing so.
As I make my way through the mansion's hallways, the shadows engulf me in their darkness. My heart is hammering loudly in my chest, and my ears are thudding as I move stealthily through the hallways. I should be thrilled, shouldn't I? I have the opportunity to leave and get away from everything—Diego, the mansion, the fear—but all I can feel is fear.
I'm afraid. Afraid of being discovered, I a

Alejandro's POV
Never had I anticipated that things would reach this far. Camila, my former flame, seemed to be slowly drifting away, seemingly lost to forces outside my control. Every day brought new reminders that darkness was closing in around her; cartel members, Luis's presence, and mafia threats all threatened our connection; I knew something had to be done now, but I wasn't sure what.
I never wanted this war that took her from me. Yet as I took each step into this new world that seemed foreign and strange, the stakes rose higher; my love had to be strong enough for me to risk everything to save her before it was too late.
I could no longer ignore what was unfolding around me; not just Camila was at risk; so was I.
Like Camila, my family was deeply involved in this mess. Our clan had connections to cartels dating back further than I realized. Although I tried my hardest to stay out of it all and keep my head down, now there was no escape from Camila or mafia members alike.
As I was sitting alone in my small apartment and feeling overwhelmed by its confines, an idea came to me:
Luis was dangerous; I knew it. If only I could come to some sort of agreement with him to allow Camila to go free, perhaps then Camila could be saved.
As I stood outside of the building where Luis held his meetings, my heart raced and my palms became sweaty with fear. Now there was no turning back.
As I approached those doors, I wasn't sure what would happen when I arrived. Would Luis take notice or see me as an obstacle?
With a deep breath in, I pushed open the door.
Luis was seated at a spacious desk, seemingly dedicating all his time to responding to emails and finishing projects. I knew he knew I was there, though, because his eyes never left his screen when I walked in.
He asked me to sit without looking directly at me.
I immediately took a seat across from him, trying to control my breathing, as this was my chance to save Camila.
"I know what you are doing," I began, my voice calm and even. "You are pushing her too hard, Luis; she doesn't belong here and shouldn't be treated as one of your soldiers..
Luis turned around, his gaze intent and cold. "Do you really think I don't know?" he asked in a cold voice, firmly. "Camila is more than you think; she's smarter than anyone I've met and is starting to see the world as it is."
"Luis, stop using her! If you won't let her go, I will step into this world and take her place until you release her from it all. No one should use people like this!" I gripped my fists tightly as I tried to control my anger. "Don't use or abuse women! Don't exploit their emotional fragility!" I infuriated Luis further when he refused to release his hold over Luis' sister and take responsibility for destroying her life! If that doesn't change soon enough then so be it!" I told Luis. "If this woman stays here long enough, then I will take over, and I will do whatever is necessary to free her!" I said as I entered his world with no mercy for Luis or his help in getting rid of her. " "If she stays here, then I will take responsibility and leave this place before ever returning here. No matter who has to replace her, then that will happen..".
Luis didn't flinch. Instead, he took an aggressive posture toward me while carefully studying every feature of my face, like an animal assessing its prey. "Why would I believe you?" he inquired with an uncertain voice.
"Because I'm different from you and don't want to be part of this. However, I am willing to take action if it means saving her. Although you think you control her, you don't. She is strong but not murderous unlike you, who have lost yourself." I began speaking more urgently. "Why?" she replied with some hesitation before continuing. "Because I am different from everyone else. Although I do not want to be part of it, I will do it if it means saving her. You may think you can control her, but you can't. She is unique among her peers: strong yet non-lethal." I spoke up more urgently again: "Because unlike you all." I continued, speaking more urgently:
Luis' lips curled into a slight smile, yet there was no warmth there. "So you think we can make a deal or are trying to save her?" His eyes darkened further as his words became harsher: "You have no clue what it takes to survive in this world, Alejandro; now it is too late; there's no escape now.
"When Camila began slipping away from me, my frustration mounted. Desperation took hold as I struggled between pleading and threatening. Camila could no longer escape, and that wasn't acceptable to me.
"I'll do whatever it takes," I replied, my voice no longer pleading, "but you must let her go. I will step into your world, play your game, but won't allow her to become like you.
Luis' smile shifted abruptly into one of cold calculation. "Alejandro," he whispered. "Do you really think you can escape this? Are you hoping just taking her out will make the problem go away? Unfortunately for you, once in it, there's no turning back."
"Let me make the choice," I responded in anger, staring him down. "Give me an opportunity to save her or all will burn down. When you push me too far, you'll see."
Luis was silent for some time as his eyes focused on me, weighing my words and testing my character.
"Do you really think that you have control here, Alejandro?" He finally broke the silence with this question: "No! You are just an insignificant pawn.
As I exited the building with my heart still racing, Luis's words continued to echo through my mind: you are just a pawn he had been right; this situation had never been in my hands before now, yet I wouldn't let Camila slip away so easily without fighting for her first.
As I walked down the street, my mind raced. Would Luis accept my offer or destroy everything I cared about?
The days that followed were filled with endless waiting and worry, as Camila fell deeper into a world where she didn't belong. Each minute I didn't act was another moment where danger threatened to close in on us all.
That night I couldn't sleep. The sound of the city filled my ears, as did its uncertainty; after making my move, I wondered whether or not it had been sufficient.
What would have happened if Luis had not allowed Camila to go? Would he have used me against her instead?
"I got up, pacing the room. I couldn't just sit here waiting for something to happen; something needed to change immediately, so I needed to go speak with her directly and let her know I wouldn't stop fighting for her.
I found her standing alone, staring intently at the ground as though lost in thought.
"Camila," I announced with an air of gentle authority. Her gaze met mine.
"I won't leave you to do this alone," I insisted, moving closer. "I'm here, and I'll do whatever is necessary.
At first, she didn't say much. Instead, her gaze flickered as if considering something, and then she turned back towards me, her eyes filled with something I couldn't quite decipher.
"Can I trust you?" she inquired in a voice barely above a whisper.
As she looked away, my answer came quickly, but there was still that uneasy feeling that perhaps trust had already been broken between us.
Will Camila manage to free herself from Luis' grip, or will she succumb to this dark world? With time running out and danger mounting up around him, Alejandro must act swiftly if he hopes to save Camila, whom he loves.

CAMILA ORTEGA'S POINT OF VIEW
Tension permeates the room. My heart feels like it's trying to get out of my chest because it's beating so quickly. Diego watches me from the other side of the table, but I try not to look at him. Like a predator observing its prey, his eyes are icy and piercing. The weight of his eyes on me makes my stomach turn, but I can't take my eyes off of him. I'd prefer not to. However, I also don't want to be here.
Diego's deep, authoritative voice pierces the quiet. "Sit down."
I don't argue. By now, I've realized that doing so will only exacerbate the situation. I take a seat at the long dining table slowly. I try to keep my breathing steady because the room feels cold. As usual, he is preparing dinner for me. He never lets go of me. I don't know how to combat it, even though I detest it.
His eyes dart over me as he reclines in his chair, as if I were a puzzle that he is desperately trying to solve. Even though I make an effort to ignore it, I can feel his heat 

Chapter 7