Chapter 1 Uncertainty.
Chapter 1.
Uncertainty.
Alicia Jank feels an unbearable heaviness, a hot mass of anxiety and guilt that settles in her stomach like a brick. Her mind, a treacherous Pandora's box, is not focused on the calculus formula that Professor Anyi is writing on the blackboard. She is elsewhere, recreating the furtive image from last night: her uncle-in-law, Lucas, stepping out of the shower, completely naked, just an instant in the hallway, but enough to be etched in her memory like a forbidden photograph.
The pencil on her lips is a fanciful mixture of what her mind desires, an unconscious act that attempts to substitute the tension vibrating beneath her skin. She doesn't want to have those thoughts about him, but her mind won't leave her alone, forcing her to remember his imposing bearing, the hardness of his sculpted body.
"Miss Jank, are you listening to me?"
Professor Anyi's voice pulls her back. The sound of the chalk stopping against the blackboard is the backdrop for the turning of all heads.
Alicia remains in shock, her pupils dilated, as she feels like the center of attention. A blush rises from her neck to her temples.
"Excuse me, what were you saying?"
"Are you not listening to me? Your body is here, but your mind has apparently traveled to another galaxy."
"I'm sorry, Professor Anyi, I just don't feel well," she lies, the real anxiety mixing with the shame.
"In that case, I invite you to go to the infirmary, please. Leave my class. The distraction is over."
Her cheeks flush. Everyone is surprised. At the institute, Alicia is the personification of invisibility: diligent, silent, always in the shadows. Now, because of an altercation, she has become the center of attention, a figure of scorn. Unable to do anything more, Alicia gets up from her chair, gathers her things, and slowly leaves, feeling the weight of every gaze on her back.
"Very well, let's continue," the professor says, returning to her work as if nothing had happened.
The empty corridors of Florida Tech become an unbearable echo of her own footsteps.
Upon reaching the entrance of the infirmary, Alicia stops. Her gaze wanders; she hesitates. She steps back. The infirmary is the place she hates the most. She hates doctors, all because of a shock from her childhood, which she avoids remembering with the same ferocity that she avoids physical pain. She simply retreats, looking for the exit.
Her retreat draws the attention of the security men. Jorge, the head of the team, hurries to approach her.
"Is something wrong, Miss Jank?"
"Take me home, Jorge, please. Now."
"As you order, Miss."
The ride back is heavy. It's unusual to return early to the enormous mansion, but it's the best option so far.
She crosses the threshold of the grand living room, and the silence is deafening. The maids are not there to receive her; perhaps because she is not accustomed to returning without notice.
"Rosa? Are you there?" She looks for the older woman in the kitchen, and not seeing her, assumes she is not there.
Alicia turns around on her heels and walks to her room, on the second floor. Just as she is about to pass the master bedroom, her Uncle Lucas's, she hears strange sounds that catch her attention.
"Oh God! Please don't stop."
The moans coming from the master bedroom make her nervous. Her heart races. She walks slowly toward the door, pushing it with a small touch. It is unlocked. A crack opens, revealing the scene in front of her.
Lucas with a woman, being intimate. The scene makes her hide behind the edge of the door, her breathing ragged. She tries to leave, but her feet won't move; the scene inside draws her in.
She watches as he clenches his jaw, looking at the kneeling woman with a coldness filled with pure desire and lust. He swats her on the butt with an open hand, a wet sound that resonates in the silence of the house, and Alicia gasps in fright, submerged in the scene that is already wetting her panties.
She presses herself against the wall, her breath coming in ragged gasps and her body burning with a desire she doesn't dare to name. What she saw last night is nothing compared to this.
He thrusts into her with a violent roughness. His imposing bearing is reaffirmed in the aggressiveness of his movements. His expression darkens with a dark pleasure. The tool between his legs is a shock to her: enormous, dominant. Alicia swallows as she watches the woman kneel before him and perform oral sex on him. Alicia trembles as she watches him gasp. The suddenness of the moment causes an electric sensation throughout her body.
She is in a trance, hyperventilating, when suddenly, she feels her cat, Minino, purr and wrap around her legs, rubbing against them.
Lucas, hearing the soft sound, looks in her direction.
She backs away, trying to hide. She trembles, covering her mouth with her hand, as if with that gesture she could disappear. Then, she hears approaching footsteps. Her heart is beating very fast. She moves, trying to hide, she slips into the music study room next door and hides in one of the cabinets where spare parts are kept, closing the door carefully.
"I told you, it's no one, it's just the cat."
Lucas's gaze follows Minino, who enters the music cabinet. He sighs and walks back to the room.
"It's time for you to leave."
"I don't want the fun to end," the woman says, trying to encourage him once more, but he rejects her with annoyance.
"Get dressed and leave," he replies indifferently, his gaze darkened. He assesses the scene and goes back into the room, looking for a tracksuit and putting it on.
The woman quickly changes and leaves the place, being followed by Lucas to the entrance, where he notices Alicia's security men.
"Sir, she's here," they exclaim, surprised.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, his tone filled with anger.
"The young lady wasn't feeling well, that's why we returned. I called you on the intercom, but I didn't get a response from you."
"Alicia? Where is she?"
"She came in several minutes ago, sir."
Lucas looks at the woman coldly and then at his men.
"Get her out of here," he orders, turning around to return to the interior of the house, confirming what he already suspects.
Reaching the upper floor, he enters the music room, looking for her. He opens the closet, and not seeing her, he leaves the room, directing his gaze to hers.
He knocks on Alicia's door and slowly opens it when he receives no response. Her purse on the bed confirms she is nearby. He walks silently toward the bathroom, noticing the partially open door.
She is there, with her face submerged in a bowl of water, trying to calm her anxiety, as on other occasions.
It is here that he takes the opportunity to approach, pressing himself against her body, which causes her to tense up. Slowly, she raises her head, noticing him behind her.
"Spying in secret, Alicia?"
