Miguel stepped out of the sleek black car and onto the driveway of his father's mansion. The maids, dressed in crisp uniforms, greeted him with respectful bows as he walked towards the entrance. He nodded politely, accustomed to the deference.
As he entered the living room, his father, Mr. Jackson, rose from the couch, a warm smile on his face. "Miguel, How are you?" He extended a hand, and Miguel shook it firmly.
"I'm good, Dad. School's been keeping me busy," Miguel replied, taking a seat next to his father.
Mr. Jackson's eyes lit up with interest. "How's Rafael and Damien doing? And how's the basketball team coming along?"
Miguel leaned forward, enthusiasm evident in his voice. "We're gearing up for a big match, Dad. The team's been practicing hard."
His father nodded, offering words of encouragement. "I wish you all the best, son. You know I've got your back."
The conversation flowed smoothly, until Mr. Jackson asked about Gabriela. Miguel's heart skipped a beat as he replied, trying to sound nonchalant, "She's okay, Dad."
"By the way, she's coming over tonight."
"Spending the night? That's such great news. We'll have ample time to talk about business." Mr. Jackson's smile faded when he noticed the 'You can't be serious' look on Miguel's face.
"Um.....maybe we should reschedule. Someone wants to have an alone time with Gabriela."
"Do you like her as much as Cariah says it?"
Miguel excused himself and headed upstairs to his bedroom. Once the door was closed behind him, he pulled out his phone and began typing a text message.
[Just arrived at Dad's house. Waiting for you.]
He texted Gabriela.
"Wait... where's Aunt?" His mind drifted to Cariah and went straight to her room. Pushing open the door, she was watching a movie, so engrossed that he could swear she felt the whole world disappear.
"Miguel. What brings you here? Our deal?" Miguel nodded and sat.
Cariah's eyes twinkled with excitement.
"You mean, I'll see Gabriela tonight?"
"Yup, she's spending the night."
~~~~~
Michelle burst into her room, the door slamming shut behind her with a loud thud. As she turned around, her eyes widened in surprise. Damien sat calmly on her bed, his gaze fixed intently on one of her novels lying open on the bedside table.
A flush crept up Michelle's cheeks as she realized she hadn't expected anyone to be in her room, let alone Damien.
"Damien?" she asked hesitantly, trying to compose herself as she walked towards him.
He looked up, his eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable. Michelle's embarrassment gave way to curiosity - what was he doing in her room, and why was he so engrossed in her book?
"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
Damien held up the novel. "I was just getting into this. You've got great taste in books."
"Don't read that. Not for your age."
"Really?" Damien's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Michelle walked towards him but he dodged it from her sight.
"You can't have this."
"Why?" He rolled to the other side down the bed and ran towards the door.
"Because I wanna read."
"What?!" Michelle's heart raced as Damien opened the door and ran out.
Michelle chased after him.
They went down the stairs, as Michelle increased her pace to get her novel back.
The two ran around the living room until Damien skipped towards the dining, jumping on the table and drawing a knife from a fruit basket.
Michelle's eyes widened in horror as Damien pointed the knife at her, his other hand holding the novel tantalizingly close to his face. "Don't you dare read that!" she warned, trying to keep her voice steady.
Damien chuckled, the knife glinting in the light. "Or else?" he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Michelle took a cautious step forward, her hands outstretched. "Give me the book, Damien. Now."
He shook his head, the knife still pointed at her. "You're going to have to come and get it."
Michelle hesitated, unsure of what to do. She didn't want to get hurt, but she couldn't let Damien read her book. She took another step forward, her eyes fixed on the knife.
Suddenly, Damien jumped down from the dining table, book still in hand, and took off running around the living room again. Michelle followed, laughing despite herself. She was determined to get her book back.
"Sexy professor about to make my life hell, it feels good when you - "
"Stop!"
Damien laughed mockingly.
Michelle's face grew hotter with embarrassment.
"Would really love to be in the paradise between those boobs."
"Why do you naughtily deal with my ass? You know I so much love to rock...."
"Damien!" She nearly whimpered.
Finally, she managed to corner him against the couch, and she snatched the book out of his hands. "Ha!" she exclaimed, triumphant.
Damien grinned, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. You win."
Michelle sat, breathless.
"You read these?" He faced her.
"So? Is it a crime?" She spoke dryly.
"Nope. Just never imagined that a little chick like you would indulge yourself in these. I find it - extremely sexy."
"Little chick? That's all I heard." He leaned in and took off her glasses slowly.
"You look better this way. I mean - hotter." Her cheeks burned and she would have died of embarrassment if Damien hadn't plopped back on the couch and picked up a remote.
She bit her lower lip.
"My - glasses."
"You'll get them when you stop reading these novels." Her lips curved into a smile.
"You know what Damien, I..."
"When will you realize how much I actually like you?" Michelle froze.
"What?"
"Nothing but the truth."
~~~~~~
Jennie stepped out of the sauna, the warm air enveloping her like a gentle hug. She took a sip of her drink, feeling the cool liquid slide down her throat. The loud pop music still pulsed through the speakers, a stark contrast to the serene atmosphere of the sauna. She smiled to herself, enjoying the contrast.
As she wrapped herself in a plush robe, Jennie felt her tension melting away. She had earned this relaxation after a long day of lecturing at the college. She slipped out of the sauna room and made her way to her bedroom, the soft carpet a welcome respite for her feet.
As she entered her bedroom, Jennie let out a contented sigh. She was looking forward to a good night's sleep, letting go of the stresses of the day. She dropped her robe onto the bed and slipped under the covers, ready to drift off into a peaceful slumber. The music from the sauna grew fainter, replaced by the soft hum of the air conditioner. Jennie's eyelids began to droop, and she felt herself relaxing, letting go of the day's worries.
All that was interrupted by Claudia.
She barged into the room crying, her phone clutched in her hand.
"Oh, fuck! Mom! Fuck!!!" She cursed.
"What happened?" Jennie sat up, worry written all over her face.
"It's Biscuit, Mom. The girls found Biscuit in a pool of blood after we searched for him all day. I can't believe someone would try to kill Biscuit. I got Biscuit with all my savings and someone's trying to kill him. What the fuck?!" Claudia snarled, sniffing.
"Is he dead?"
"Nadia took him to the vet. But if anything happens to my puppy, I won't be easy on those two!"
"Nadia and Sandra have been your closest companions since high school. What makes you think they'd try to harm Biscuit? I'm sure it's nobody else but Gabriela."
"Gabriela?" She thought for a while.
"She did see Biscuit. Does that mean she's trying to get me by killing Biscuit? What's that for? Biscuit is innocent!" She cried.
"He is; but you're not. Claudia, you have to stop being such a weakling. You need to act fast before everything in this world slips from your hands. Money, power, cars, fame, Flores Corp, Miguel....and even me. I might slip from your fucking hands, Claudia."
"But what do I do?"
"I have a plan. And executing it won't be a problem either. We can't get to Gabriela directly if we want to bring her down. We'll have to play with her emotions." Claudia nodded.
The idea sounded pleasing to her ears.
Claudia's phone rang and she was horrified to see the caller ID.
"Be ready for the worst, Claudia." She thought to herself, answering the call.
"Hello, Nadia. How's Biscuit?"
"Biscuit didn't survive it, Claudia. He died...they killed him..." Nadia was fighting back tears.
With an outburst, Claudia fell to the ground unconscious.
"Claudia!!! Someone help!!! Maids!!!"
~~~~~~~
It was already past 9 pm, and Gabriela was still undecided about what to wear to Jackson's mansion. She had tried on numerous dresses, but none seemed quite right. Miguel had texted her the address and sent several messages, reminding her that he was waiting.
She dropped tiredly on the bed and her eyes widened, seeing an incoming video call from Miguel pop on her phone screen.
She answered it.
"Hi." She greeted dryly. She noticed his hair was wet and smiled a little, scanning his face.
"Why aren't you dressed yet?"
"How do you know I'm not dressed yet? Were you staring?" Gabriela gasped dramatically.
"S-staring? What do you mean? I'm confused."
Gabriela's strap singlet exposed her cleavage and she could swear his eyes travelled there when she answered the call.
"I won't answer videos with you ever again. You're a pervert." Miguel laughed.
"Oh. Expatiate."
"Why were your eyes on my boobs?" Miguel felt flustered and the first thing that flew into his mind was to hang up.
Gabriela's mouth opened, filled with surprise.
"Did I say too much?"
"Why did he hang up?"
"He didn't even let me elaborate further."
"Miguel's shyness these days is weird."
Finally, after much deliberation, Gabriela made her decision. She slipped into a cute white crop top and a black flare skirt that bore a resemblance to a uniform or maid's wear. A cute headband adorned her hair, giving her a youthful appearance reminiscent of a first grader. She curled her hair letting them cascade down her shoulders, which lent her an adventurous air, like an explorer.
Gabriela's outfit was completed with three belly chains: one gifted by Miguel, a pearl belly chain, and two diamond belly chains that sparkled in the light. With a touch of Asian-inspired makeup, she felt confident that the night would be nothing short of perfect.