Darling, You Lose

Chapter 56: The Desperate Deal

"If you kill him, you’ll never see me again," Elena says, her voice shaking with fear, but there's a fire in her eyes. It’s hard to keep her composure, to sound confident when her entire world is falling apart in front of her. But she does. She has to.

Rafael doesn’t flinch. He holds the gun steady, the cold barrel pressed against Alexander’s forehead. His finger hovers over the trigger, ready to pull it, to end everything.

Elena watches the scene in front of her, her heart pounding in her chest, her breath shallow. She can see Alexander’s pain, the blood already soaking through his shirt, and she knows he’s barely holding on. But it’s not the blood that breaks her, it’s the look in his eyes. The look that says he’s ready to die, just to get her out of this mess. To save her from this nightmare.

She can’t let that happen. She won’t let it.

“Rafael,” Elena says, her voice trembling even though she’s doing everything she can to sound strong. She steps forward, her eyes locked on his. “Please. Don’t do this.”

Rafael's gaze flicks to her, and his lips curl into that same cruel smile that makes Elena want to scream. “Why should I listen to you, Elena? You’ve always been nothing but a pawn in my game.”

Her breath catches in her throat. "I know," she whispers. "I was. But I'm done being your pawn." She takes another step closer, her eyes never leaving his. "I’m making a deal with you. Let him go, and I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll be yours, completely. No more tricks. No more running. I’ll obey you, Rafael. Just... just don't kill him."

For a moment, there’s silence. The tension in the room is so thick it feels suffocating. Elena feels like she can’t breathe, like her heart is in her throat. She doesn't know if Rafael will buy it, but she knows she has no other choice. She can’t lose Alexander. Not like this.

Rafael watches her carefully, his gaze sharp and calculating, as if weighing her words, deciding whether or not to believe her. The gun is still at Alexander’s head, but Rafael’s focus shifts entirely to Elena.

"You’re willing to give up everything for him?" Rafael’s voice is low, amused, as if he’s not quite sure whether to believe her. "You’ve tried to escape me so many times. What makes you think I’ll believe this, Elena?"

She swallows, her heart pounding harder than ever. “Because I mean it, Rafael. I’m tired of running. Tired of fighting you. If it means keeping him alive, I’ll do whatever it takes to make this stop.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy and real. She knows she’s offering him everything she has left. It’s all she has to give. But it might be enough.

Rafael looks between them, his expression unreadable. It feels like time stretches on forever, every second dragging out, as if the world is holding its breath. Elena can barely breathe, the air too thick to pull in, but she doesn’t back down.

Alexander stirs slightly, his voice hoarse. "Elena..." he mutters, barely able to speak, but the warning in his voice is clear. He doesn’t want her to give in. He wants her free. He’s always wanted that for her.

Elena turns her gaze back to him, and in that moment, she knows what she has to do. She loves him. She always has. But if it’s a choice between saving him and giving Rafael exactly what he wants... she’ll sacrifice everything.

"Please, Rafael," she whispers, barely able to choke the words out. "Let him go. And I’ll be yours. I’ll stay. I won’t run anymore."

Rafael’s lips curl into that predatory smile, and he steps closer to her, the gun still trained on Alexander. “So, you finally understand what I’ve been trying to teach you all along, mi amor.” His voice is soft, smooth, but there’s a dangerous edge to it. “You belong to me. No more running. No more resistance. You’re mine.”

Elena nods slowly, even though her stomach turns at the thought. This isn’t what she wanted. This isn’t how she imagined it would end. But if it means keeping Alexander alive, if it means stopping Rafael from destroying everything, she will make this sacrifice.

Rafael tilts his head, studying her with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. "You’ve always been so stubborn, so defiant. I’ve always liked that about you. But now... now you see it, don’t you?" He steps closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Now you see who’s in control."

Elena clenches her fists at her sides, trying to steady herself. It’s hard. It’s so hard, but she doesn’t look away from Rafael. She can’t let him see how broken she feels inside. She can’t let him know how much this hurts.

Rafael lowers the gun slowly, his gaze never leaving her face. "Finally, you understand, mi amor," he says, his voice laced with dark satisfaction. "Now, we can begin."