Chapter 19: _ Falling For Him
I swallowed my nerves and smoothed the front of my tattered skirt, bracing myself as best I could. My heart thundered as I took a tentative step forward.
I couldn’t avoid him forever, no matter how embarrassing my current state was. If nothing else, I owed him a greeting—he was the Beta, for goodness’ sake!
"Buenas tardes, Beta Axel," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even as I felt the gaze of every worker here on me. My cheeks burned, no doubt as red as a ripened tomato.
Axel turned toward me, his beautiful eyes narrowing slightly as if he were trying to place me. "Buenas tardes," he replied politely but stoically.
I could feel him giving me a one-over before he asked, "Do I know you?"
Ouch.
Of course, he didn’t recognize me. I looked nothing like the girl he’d met at the gala, where I’d at least been dressed decently and had my hair brushed.
Swallowing my embarrassment, I quickly wiped my face with the sleeve of my shirt and shifted from one foot to the other. "I’m María Jośe De la Vega. Don Diego’s daughter. You... defended me at the Luna Hunt gala."
His eyebrows lifted in recognition, and for a second, I thought I saw something softer behind his usual stoic demeanor. "Ah, yes. María Jośe. I remember. How are you doing?"
Did he just ask how I was doing? That meant he cared, didn’t it? Oh, my gosh—HE CARES!
If I wasn’t so ridden by shyness right now, I might have hopped on my feet in a happy dance.