But Maria refused to hand it over, shouting angrily, "I said I don't have it! Are you deaf?"
Gerardo's face darkened instantly.
His voice softened as he pleaded, "If you have it, just give it to me. It's the only way to save Noreen!"
"I said I don't have it! Even if you ask a hundred times, it won't change anything!" Maria snapped, her temper flaring as she shoved Gerardo aside and stormed back into the room.
Gerardo sank onto the couch, his elbows resting on his knees as he buried his head in his hands.
His fingers gripped his hair tightly. The thought of his daughter's uncertain fate tore him apart.
Just as he was about to get up and rush to the Bennett estate to find Nevaeh, Maria stepped out of the room.
She was dressed in a striking crimson, knee-length dress.
Her perfume lingered in the air, her hair styled into glossy curls that framed her face perfectly, she looked breathtakingly seductive.
