Page 56 of Obsession & Oath

I step closer, lowering my voice so only she can hear. “You were right.”

That gets her attention. Her brows lift slightly behind the mask like she wasn’t expecting me to admit it. “About what?”

“You know what.”

She doesn’t respond immediately. She just studies me for another long moment before finally,finally, she places her hand in mine.

I lead her onto the floor, and as I pull her close, something tight inside my chest eases.

“You clean up nice,” I tell her, my hand resting on the small of her back, fingers brushing the silk of her dress.

“So do you.” She exhales slowly, her gaze flickering downward like she hates to admit it.

The music swells around us, the rest of the ballroom fading as I focus on her weight in my arms. The rhythm of her breath. The way her body moves against mine, hesitant at first, but then instinctual.

I lean in slightly, my lips brushing her ear. “I meant it, you know.”

She shivers, but her voice stays steady. “Meant what?”

“That you were right.” My grip on her tightens just enough to pull her closer. “I’ve been ignoring my responsibilities for far too long.”

She swallows, her fingers flexing slightly where they rest against my shoulder. “Damn right, you have.”

Carmen’s gaze flickers away before she forces herself to meet my eyes again.

There’s something different about her now—something quieter. I can feel it in the way she moves, in the way her body no longer holds tension like a blade ready to strike.

“I’m not used to this,” she murmurs.

I tilt my head. “Dancing?”

She exhales a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “No. Thinking about whatIwant.”

I don’t speak. I just let her lead the conversation in her own time.

“For as long as I can remember, my life has belonged to the Cartel. To my father. To whatever future he’s carved out for me. I was always supposed to be a gift,” she says, her tone carefully neutral. “A symbol of loyalty. Of purity.”

That word—purity—makes something dark curl in my stomach. Carmen was meant to be someone’spossession.

She must see the shift in my expression because she smirks, though there’s no real humor in it. “Not really the picture of innocence now, am I?”

No. She’s not. She’s fire and defiance, reckless and untamed.

Andfuck,I want her.

“What changed?” I ask.

Her smirk fades, replaced by something softer. Thoughtful. “Your mother.”

That surprises me. “What?”

She nods, hesitating before she speaks again. “She…made me feel like I could be more than just a pawn in my father’s game. Like I should be something more.”

A realization crashes over me like a wave.

She’sconsideringit. A different life. A different future. One where she’s free.

One where she’s not tied to the Cartel.

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