Chapter 8 - Shadows of Marbella
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The digital clock on the nightstand glowed a dull red: 3:14 AM. The Madrid penthouse was cloaked in heavy darkness, save for the ambient city lights that bled through the sheer curtains.
A sudden, sharp scream tore through the silence of the apartment.
Alejandro bolted upright in his bed, his heart hammering against his ribs. He didn't even bother grabbing a shirt. He sprinted down the hallway, his bare feet slapping against the cold hardwood floor, until he reached Isabella’s bedroom. He threw the door open, his eyes desperately scanning the shadows.
Isabella was sitting up in bed, her small body trembling violently. The sheets were tangled around her legs, and she was crying hysterically, her bandaged hands pressed tightly against her ears as if trying to block out a terrifying sound.
"Isabella!" Alejandro called out, rushing to the side of her bed and turning on the small, warm bedside lamp.
"No, Abuela, please! I will scrub the floors again! I am sorry!" Isabella shrieked, her eyes wide and unseeing, completely trapped in the horrifying echoes of the Marbella estate.
"Isabella, look at me," Alejandro said firmly but gently.
He sat on the edge of the mattress and carefully pulled her hands away from her ears. He cupped her tear-streaked face in his large, warm hands.
"Look at my eyes, mi pequeña. It is Papa. You are in Madrid. You are in my house."
Isabella blinked rapidly, the terrifying illusion of Carmen’s cruel face slowly fading into the comforting, strong features of her father. She let out a ragged, shuddering gasp and threw herself forward into his chest.
"She was here, Papa," Isabella sobbed, gripping his shoulders. "She was yelling about the dirty marble."
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"She is a ghost, Isabella," Alejandro murmured, rubbing her back in slow, rhythmic circles. "And ghosts cannot cross these walls. I am right here. I will sit in this chair until the sun comes up. I am not leaving you."
He pulled the heavy armchair next to her bed, held her small, bandaged hand, and kept his promise, standing guard until the morning light finally chased the shadows away.
