Crystal swiveled her office chair as she stared at the ceiling in her small but tasteful workspace.
The brown wooden table before her, though mostly covered with papers, still looked elegant, especially with the glittered file covers and the transparent plastic pen holder filled with pink pens topped with feathered ends.
The sound of rain was faint beyond the building's thick walls, yet its fragrance still managed to slip inside.
Her lunch sat on the table in a medium-sized pink food flask.
Her arms were folded across her chest, stretching the already fitted navy blue suit and black turtleneck she wore as her fingers dug into her arms.
Her backward life now made sense. Three years in Mapla had certainly not earned her a rent-free house and a boyfriend who was a top-tier heir in a prestigious company.
Her stylishness felt useless. Maria wasn't even as classy as she was.
Her conscience scoffed—or so she thought.
Maria's body was undeniably the kind no man could turn down.
Even she, as a woman, could attest to that, especially with how Maria tried to hide it by calling herself fat.
Crystal lowered her face with a frown as she stared at the dark office door.
The people in their hometown would call Maria more successful, but Crystal knew the truth, and she would expose it.
A knock on the door broke her train of thought.
"George!" Crystal rolled her eyes and sat up as her manager, Mr Dawson's voice rang out from the other side.
She had barely uttered a word of invitation before the door swung open, and he stepped inside, disrupting the calm floral scent of her office with his harsh cologne and terribly styled brown suit, red tie, and polished black shoes.
"Thank God, you're here," he said, closing the door behind him as he approached.
He ran his hand through his curly brown hair, keeping his freckled face and dark brown eyes fixed on her.
As usual, trying to force charm.
Crystal sighed internally as she watched him approach.
This was the kind of man she always seemed to attract.
Trying losers.
She lowered her gaze briefly as his dizzying scent reached her and he placed a hand on her desk.
She raised her face to him.
"Good afternoon, manager," she greeted.
He sighed, looking away as he gently ran his fingers through his hair again, and Crystal grimaced before instantly fixing her expression the second he turned back to her.
"I have a story for you," he said.
"O-Okay," Crystal hesitated.
She couldn't afford to be distracted from the GOATASTE scandal, and she certainly didn't want anyone in the office to know about it until it was ready for proper exposure.
"Keep…" Mr Dawson said, reclaiming her attention. "Keep your eyes on me."
"Please have a seat, sir," Crystal said with a small smile.
Dawson immediately stood straighter, slipped his hands into his pockets, and cleared his throat.
"There'll be no need. My lunch will soon be ready, but I snuck in to tell you this now that everyone's distracted enough not to care," he said.
"A rumor?" Crystal asked.
"A scandal," he replied.
Crystal's heart skipped a beat, and her smile faltered slightly.
"You're familiar with the GOATASTE company?" Dawson continued.
"Yes sir," she said, boiling beneath her composed expression.
She would kill Christian.
It had to be him.
"Remember the lady who headed the humanitarian movement last month?" he asked.
Crystal raised a brow, confusion clouding her memory. "Not…Not really sir," she replied.
"Wow," he said. "You have such a short memory."
Crystal's eyes darted as she searched her memory once more.
"You were an active member of the crew during that movement yourself.
You even interviewed a few of them—except the woman I'm talking about. Dahlia Hays?"
"Oh, yes sir," she said quickly with a wider smile. "I remember. She was such a sweet soul."
"Yes," Dawson said as he suddenly placed both hands on the table between them, making Crystal flinch. "That's exactly the persona we need to publish her own scandal with Daniel Genova."
He straightened again, hands returning to his pocket.
Crystal inhaled, hoping he would leave soon but now her curiosity had overtaken that feeling.
Wasn't Daniel Maria's boyfriend?
"Daniel Genova?" she asked, pretending to be clueless.
"I want to assume you already know who he is," Dawson said, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Yes," Crystal nodded. "The second son of GOATASTE."
"Last week GOATASTE held a launch event where Daniel Genova publicly identified the project lead as his girlfriend. Correct?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Dahlia's family," he continued. "The Hays are on very good terms with the Genovas, as seen in the pictures of them sharing a table at the launch after-party."
Crystal stared.
That had better not be it.
"There's evidence, but it can be denied," he continued, and she exhaled. "Dahlia Hays seems to be having a hidden affair with Daniel Genova despite his relationship with…"
"Maria Delton," she finished for him.
Dawson smirked.
"Good, you were following," he said. "The world doesn't need traitors pretending to be knights of hard work and dedication. It is our job to expose them so the public can see who they really are."
Crystal kept her expression neutral.
If only Dawson knew that there was a bigger plot in play—one that wasn't proven either, but just as bad or worse.
But it was now her own personal motivation.
To expose to the public the true gold digger that Maria was.
**
"He is such a hopeless bully!" Maria complained as she finally arrived at the school garage entrance, clenching Miles' car keys in one hand while pulling back the hood of her raincoat with the other.
She entered the silver-lit garage, its white light reflecting off the concrete pillars and the decent number of cars parked inside.
Thunder roared outside as she moved deeper into the garage, lightly pressing the key before the car honked briefly in the distance, five cars away across the aisle from where she stood.
Maria walked toward the black Benz, pressing the key again to confirm as the flickering lights responded.
Once she reached it, she removed the transparent raincoat and draped it over her arm before moving to the front passenger side.
Her eyes flickered toward the garage entrance as her hand reached for the car door.
No sign of Miles, even from a distance, and her vision wasn't exactly great with the dark sky and heavy downpour outside.
Why should she care?
She huffed with a frown as she opened the door and sank into the passenger seat.
The moment the scent of the car reached her, she almost melted as though its owner were already there.
Maria dropped the raincoat onto the backseat and set her bag on her lap, immediately returning her attention to the entrance.
At the stadium exit, Miss Tina had shown up again, just after Maria thought she had finally cornered Miles into answering her.
Even after he suggested they simply walk through the rain, they couldn't because the downpour had only grown heavier.
Just when Maria thought he would finally say something to her, Tina had appeared out of nowhere with an umbrella and a raincoat.
The umbrella was the better option since it could shelter two people, but Miss Tina had insisted she preferred the umbrella before handing the raincoat to Maria, making it abundantly clear she had already decided who she would be sharing it with.
Maria had wanted to refuse, but Miles had simply dropped his keys into her hand, saying he'd meet her at the garage since the raincoat would probably get her there faster.
He had predicted correctly.
She knew it was his way of stopping her from trying to go home by herself.
Still, she had accepted the keys just to make sure that bloody Tina didn't try following him anywhere.
Maria settled deeper into the dark cream leather seats, her eyes still fixed on the entrance.
Why was he taking so long to appear, even if it was because of Miss Tina?
She lowered her gaze with another scoff.
Since he didn't even seem willing to answer her question, she definitely wasn't going to let him touch her again.
The sound of footsteps made her lift her head, relief washing over her as she spotted Miles approaching, half-drenched.
His hair was damp.
The peach shirt he wore was darker around the shoulders, the wetness just barely spreading.
He looked even hotter.
She bit her lip, unable to stop herself from watching him as he approached.
A familiar sensation curled low in her stomach as he circled the car and climbed into the driver's seat.
Maria deliberately turned toward her window, pouting.
"I think Miss Tina should consider hiring a male for the needful," he said with an exhausted exhale.
"I guess I'm the only one who could see that umbrella was too small in the first place," she replied, without looking at him, her arms still folded across her chest.
"Ah-choo!"
Maria immediately turned.
His head dipped slightly with the force of the sneeze before he leaned back into his seat, face tilted upward, eyes closed, lips parted, and both hands remained on the steering wheel.
"Are you alright, sir?" she asked, unfolding her arms slightly.
Her eyes drifted to the movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed.
Then she heard the faintest sniff.
Did he have a cold?
Maria reached into her bag and pulled out a tissue.
"Sir," she said as she tore off a sheet.
She leaned close, over the car's console, holding it out to him.
His eyes opened and found hers.
That familiar sensation only he could awaken stirred again.
Her gaze drifted to his parted lips while his fingers loosened around the steering wheel.
She bit her lip again, unable to stop herself from leaning even closer.
His strained breathing reached her ears, though not enough to warn her, she had already crossed the space between their seats.
"Come closer," he whispered. "And find out."
Too late!
She was already ahead of him.
Her mind scolded her.
Remember.
Remember how he had avoided your question.
Maria leaned closer.
She hated the thought that Miss Tina might have touched him.
She wanted him to touch her instead.
Her hand holding the tissue, meant for his face, landed against his chest instead.
He had moved closer too.
As the distance between their faces disappeared, the rain outside worsened.
Yet Maria could still hear and feel the warmth of his strained breaths.
"Miles," she whispered. "You never answered the question."
"You're not asking now," he replied.
Maria should have pulled away.
She was shameless!
Her need for him was greater—greater than her need for clarity about her place in his life.
She considered closing the final distance and claiming the kiss hanging heavily between them.
Why wouldn't he just do it?
"Maria," he called softly.
Her eyes lifted to his, and his met hers almost at the same moment.
"Would you go back?" he asked. "To him…to Daniel."
Maria leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
It was the only way she could avoid answering.
Even if it was still through him.
Her lips claimed his already parted mouth.
This time he didn't dominate.
He simply allowed her to take her time even as their breaths mingled, still uneven.
Her fingers tightened around his shirt, briefly sinking into the firmness of his chest before her palm slid upward across his chest to his damp shoulder, then to the warm skin at the back of his neck.
Slowly, her fingers traced the cords of his neck before gliding down his collar, slipping through the opening between the first undone button where they brushed against the hard line of his collarbone.
Miles shifted closer.
His palm settled immediately on her thigh.
Then he finally returned the kiss, his breathing growing even more strained as her hand slid deeper beneath his shirt.
Maria's dress rode higher.
His hand moved too, matching her pace.
She only deepened the kiss despite the warning bells ringing inside her.
This was a school parking lot.
This was risky.
But she wasn't stopping.
Her other hand joined the first on his shoulder, already two buttons deep inside his shirt.
Her dress hitched even higher beneath his palm.
Goosebumps spread across her skin as she felt his touch linger, caressing gently, awakening memories of what had happened in the office the previous day.
Then Miles sniffed.
The kiss broke.
He withdrew his hand as another sneeze overtook him, his upper body bending slightly toward the steering wheel.
Maria felt a little guilty.
Still…
At least he had kissed her despite how long he had been with Miss Tina.
"Sir," she said shyly, holding up the forgotten tissue.
"I think you need this."
He slowly lifted his head, accepted the tissue from her, and pressed it gently to his nose.
"Thank you."
Maria flushed as she adjusted her dress, which had ridden halfway up her thighs, pulling it back down to her knees before fastening her seatbelt.
"You're welcome," she replied, resting both hands in her lap.
Miles started the car almost at the same time Maria's cellphone chimed with a message.
She reached into her bag for it as he drove them out of the garage.
A new message lit up her screen, and she unlocked it.
Normally, she didn't rush to check her messages, but she still wasn't entirely certain what Daniel might do.
He was unpredictable, and Miles could only shield her from him for so long.
The message appeared under Crystal's name.
I forgot an important paper at your place.
I'm so sorry, can I come get it today?
:(
Please.
Maria rolled her eyes before lifting her gaze back to the road.
Miles was already driving toward the black school exit gate, where the security guard in a black raincoat, slid the gate open to one side.
Miles sniffed again.
Maria turned toward him as he drove out of the school premises.
"I think we could stop for some flu medication," she suggested.
"It's not that serious," he replied, still holding the tissue she had given him against his nose.
With his free hand, he swerved the steering wheel, guiding the car from the school's driveway onto the road that led to the highway.
Maria gave him a skeptical look.
Was he really going to act macho now too?
"If it stays too long," she continued. "It might get worse."
Miles scoffed.
"I'm taking you home, Maria. No more talk about the flu."
Maria frowned.
"How can you still want to hide something that's already so obvious?"
"It's just a slight discomfort from the rain," he said, turning onto the highway.
"I thought Miss Tina's umbrella was big enough for two," Maria remarked, deliberately turning to face her window as they merged into the highway.
"It actually was big enough for two."
Maria's head snapped back toward him, unable to contain the irritation bubbling inside her.
The smirk beneath the tissue, even while he kept his eyes on the road, made her catch herself.
Looking down at her phone, she forwarded the estate permit code to Crystal before muttering under her breath,
"Maybe you should have offered to drive her home instead."
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing."
Maria looked up, briefly meeting his eyes before he returned his focus to the road.
The ringing of a phone immediately drew her attention to the dashboard, just as the wipers swept across the windscreen.
Miles' phone sat upright in its mount, displaying a single caller ID.
Dad.
"Sir…should I…?"
"I'll call him back later."
Maria nodded and slipped her phone back into her bag.
The unanswered call unsettled her.
The fact that Miles had ignored it only deepened the feeling.
She turned back toward the road.
The rain had eased into a light drizzle, and the evening street lights glowed brighter beneath the cool sky as Miles drove smoothly past them.
Still, she couldn't stop wondering what she should do once she could no longer avoid Daniel.
Maria leaned back against her seat.
She just needed to get through today first.
She would worry about Daniel afterward.
And judging by the way Miles spoke, she suspected the flu was affecting him more than he cared to admit.
Maybe…
Maybe she could offer him a little care in her home after he dropped her.
The gentle sound of the horn pulled her back to the present.
They had already reached the entrance to her estate.
This time, the darkness came from the approaching evening rather than the weather.
Even the rain had stopped.
The gate opened, and Miles drove inside.
Once again Maria wondered whether he would accept the invitation she hadn't yet spoken aloud, even though her conscience knew exactly what might happen if they were alone.
The car rolled to a stop in front of her house.
Maria tightened her grip on her bag, still not sure about inviting him inside but she decided to.
Only…
He wasn't saying anything.
Maria turned toward Miles.
His jaw was tight, though he seemed to be trying to ease it by rubbing it with one hand.
Following his line of sight, her heart skipped.
Daniel stood beside his blue Bentley in a black suit, hands tucked into his pockets as he watched them from near her neighbor's house.
A light knock on the window startled her.
She turned, her heart skipped again.
Mr Genova.
Miles' and Daniel's father.
"This will be nothing compared to what I would do if you let him touch you," Miles said.
Maria turned to look at him, but he only stared ahead with his jaw still rigid.
How could he say that right now?
She swallowed before quietly unclasping her seatbelt. "Goodnight, sir," she said, not waiting to see whether he would respond before opening the door.
She stepped out of the car, inwardly angry with him, yet equally frightened by the reality waiting outside.
The woody scent of Mr Genova reached her first.
She lowered her head respectfully.
'Good evening, sir."
"Evening, Maria," he replied. "Miles will be driving me home."
Maria looked up and stepped away from the open car as Mr Genova climbed into the front passenger seat and shut the door.
In an instant, Daniel's familiar scent surrounded her.
She immediately tensed as his arm slipped around her waist.
"Hi, baby," Daniel said.
Maria shifted uncomfortably, but his arm remained where it was.
"I'm sure you both can find common ground soon," Mr Genova said through the lowered passenger-side window of Miles' car.
"I'm sure we will, Dad," Daniel replied.
Maria tightened her grip on her bag.
Miles still hadn't said a word besides his warning.
Mr Genova raised the window again.
A moment later, Miles reversed the car and drove away.
"Let's go inside," Daniel's voice made her attention snap back from the car.
And although it made her angry…
Miles' warning still lingered.
Along with the kiss they had shared only moments ago.