Chapter 6 6

POV Elliot

It sounded like madness, but my plan worked perfectly. In fact, it was surprisingly easy — and far from boring. Seeing her like that, frantic behind the wheel of my car, the anguish on her face, the speed she drove at — it was so satisfying that it’s one of the memories I now treasure.

She would be my teacher… for many things.

I left the keys on the hall console and walked down the corridor with slow steps, adrenaline still burning in my veins. I couldn't help it. Her voice shouting my name, the tremor in her hands as she drove, the fury in her eyes when she discovered the truth… Katherine Ellis had left her cage. And I had been the one to open the door.

It felt better than any drug. She was my drug now.

I needed to talk to my mother, because once Mrs. Ellis accepted, the second part of my plan could begin.

“Mom?” Nothing. Just silence.

I went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and drank straight from the bottle. I was alone. I smiled.

I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed. She answered on the second ring.

“Son, I was just about to call you,” she said, cheerful.

“Are you at the office?”

“Yes. We had an unexpected meeting with the Italian partners. Everything okay?”

“Perfect. In fact, I was going to swing by,” I said, taking the car keys again. “I have something to tell you.”

“Is it important?”

“Very. I’ll tell you when I get there. See you in a few minutes.”

It wasn’t important in the way she’d think — but for me, it was the most important move yet.

My mother cared only that I be the best; living up to that was everything to her — to excel, to prove that I carried her name with distinction, to stand out and succeed just like she did. From childhood she taught me to win: hugs were rare, lessons multiplied, there was always something to learn, always something more to know.

It was never enough. Being top of the class was fine, but never perfect. She wanted perfection, though I never quite knew what that looked like to her. She set the bar, and even when I reached it, her expression remained unsatisfied. Sometimes I wanted to ask what the hell she wanted from me, but that would have disappointed her too — I was supposed to already know.

I drove without hurry, enjoying each curve and every traffic light, because I felt content. Even if I wasn't the flawless son she’d imagined, my goal right now was Mrs. Ellis — even if it didn’t fit with my mother’s plans.

I was going to see her tomorrow. Katherine — silent, focused, teaching me everything she knew. That woman had the mind of a teacher and the body of a sin. I wasn’t going to waste a single lesson.

I parked in the tower’s basement and went straight up to the executive floor. My mother’s secretary smiled as soon as she saw me and opened the door before I could knock.

“Mrs. Martins,” she sang, “your son has arrived.”

My mother stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, a glass of wine in hand, her fitted black dress like armor. She turned with a genuine smile. Beauty and presence — that was her weapon.

“What’s up, my love? Everything okay with the tutor?”

“That’s actually what I came to talk about,” I said, sitting at her glass desk. “Mrs. Ellis has accepted.” —That was all she needed to know, no details of my tactics.

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“Katherine Ellis? Andrew’s wife? I thought she was refusing — Andrew told me she was thinking it over. I was beginning to think she was an idiot.”

“Don’t put it like that. She’s a nice woman — you said so yourself,” I answered, calm. “We start tomorrow.”

“That’s magnificent!” Her smile was real, the proud glow I loved seeing. She also believed Mrs. Ellis would help polish me; that made her an ally in my favor. “She’s brilliant, and she sounds perfect for your academic profile. She’ll help you a lot. I knew she had potential!”

“You always have an eye for that,” I said, measured. “Always seeing what’s best for me. This matters.”

She laughed. I loved watching her pride. Then I lowered my voice, paused, and murmured as if it were a small thing:

“There’s something else that could help me focus even more.”

“What’s that?” She would do anything, I was sure of it.

“Andrew Ellis.”

Her expression clouded.

“What about him?”

“Nothing, really. Except he’s her husband. He’ll distract her. I need her to focus only on me. His presence interferes — not directly, but subtly. Mrs. Ellis is tense. Unstable. Nervous. I think he’s the reason.”

“How do you know?”

“I overheard them arguing the first day I went there.”

“Oh. I see.”

“If she’s going to be my teacher, it’d be best for her to be focused exclusively on my education. Don’t you think?”

My mother leaned back.

“Of course. And what do you suggest? That we kill him?”

“Of course not,” I laughed softly at her half-joke, though the idea would’ve suited me — not that I wanted the trouble. “Maybe you could send him on a business trip. Temporarily. A week. Two. Fifteen days. A month. Enough for her to have space and focus on me. So we can get a good rhythm going.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I can’t just send a trusted employee away on a whim.”

“I thought this was important, Mom,” I leaned forward, holding her gaze. “This is my education. My future. And she… she’s the best thing that’s happened to me. You said that yourself. She’s brilliant. And she’s sensitive; any problem with her husband would affect our studies. That’s exactly why she needs a controlled environment. If we want this to work — if I’m to be prepared for exams, guided through this process — she has to be alone. No distractions. No him.”

She twisted the glass between her fingers.

“Are you sure that’s all you need for things to go well? She’s my primary choice, but I’m not ready to assume Andrew is merely a distraction in her life.”

“I’m sure I want to learn from her. Every day. Every hour. I can’t do it if she goes home each night to a place that breaks her. I know they have marital problems — that’s my point. You once said Andrew was a disappointment.”

She fell silent.

“It’s not that simple,” she said. “Andrew’s been steady at the company, and he’s currently coordinating the Rivas Group account.”

“And? Can’t you send him there? To the Bilbao headquarters? An audit? A few internal meetings? Something that seems useful but keeps him away?”

She crossed her legs, thoughtful.

“I’d have to talk to HR.”

“And?”

“I’ll see what can be done. I can’t promise anything. But if it’s for your education, I’ll consider it.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

I left her office with my hands in my pockets and a sense of triumph. The day was going perfectly; even if she said she’d think about it, I knew it was practically done.

I took the elevator down one floor. Andrew Ellis’s office was on the 14th. I walked slowly along the corridor, scanning the frosted glass nameplates. When I found his, I didn’t go in. I stood in front of the half-open door.

He was inside, on the phone, back to me. His voice sounded weary, muffled, like the world weighed on him. Wrinkled shirt, loose tie, disheveled hair.

I could picture his life: a wife he no longer loved, a job where he didn’t shine, a home he no longer wanted. A failure with a name and surname. An obstacle in my way.

And yet he still let himself sleep beside her.

Katherine Ellis.

My teacher.

My new obsession.

I rested my hand on the doorframe without making a sound and watched him a few more seconds.

Yes. It would suit me very well for Mr. Ellis to be far away. Very far. Where he couldn’t see her, touch her, or cast his shadow over her.

I smiled slowly.

This was just the beginning.

The game was mine now.

The second move was already in motion.