Daniel stepped through the door after Maria, who held it open for him.
The moment he crossed the threshold into the living room, his chest felt lighter.
It was better now—better now that he finally had her alone.
He didn't hear the front door click before he turned back to where she stood with the door closed behind her.
His eyes drifted over her appearance; her outfit and hair were still put together.
Internally, he still refused to believe it was just work between her and Miles.
He held her gaze, but she quickly avoided his.
"What is it, Daniel?" she finally asked, her voice heavy with a sigh.
"So this is what it has come to?" he said, the bitterness sharp in his voice. "Miles driving you all the way here just so you can fuck him."
Maria exhaled sharply, her fingers tightening their grip on the strap of her bag.
"It was raining, it's simple courtesy…" she began.
"Fuck courtesy," Daniel snapped. Maria flinched. "Was it courtesy when you broke up with me at the office?"
He stepped closer and she instinctively retreated.
Her eyes locked on him, trembling.
Daniel didn't care.
Tonight he would restake his claim on her. Take her unapologetically until she remembers exactly who she owes her loyalty to.
"Daniel, please…" she began, but he lunged forward and yanked her flush against him, intercepting her before her other hand could even reach the entrance door handle.
He lowered his face to hers.
"Tonight," he murmured, his voice dropping to a dark tone, "I'll teach you a lesson only whores like you deserve."
Maria shook her head wildly, her body tensing as she began to struggle. "No…"
He ignored her, dragging her forward across the living room toward the stairs.
"Daniel, please," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "I'm sure this is not what your father wanted."
They reached the foot of the stairs, and Maria's resistance intensified the moment his foot hit the first step.
Daniel paused, turned his head to look down at her.
"Are you fucking him too?" he asked, a sinister smile pulling at his lips as Maria's face twisted in pure disgust.
She wrestled her arm harder. "Get…out Daniel," she groaned.
Daniel inhaled sharply, the surge of anger hot in his veins.
If the stairs were going to be this much of a hassle, he would just carry out his lesson in the guest room.
It wouldn't be the first time.
He shoved her toward the plain door beneath the stairwell.
Twisting the knob, he threw it open and hauled Maria in first.
Then he slammed the door shut behind them and turned to face her.
Maria's bag slipped from her hand, thudding onto the purple rugged floor.
She backed away blindly, her flats sinking into the pile as she retreated toward the neatly made bed covered in crisp white cotton sheets.
Daniel scoffed, his fingers reaching up to undo his tie as he stalked toward her.
To him, those pristine sheets were the perfect symbol for what he wanted to do—defile her stupid, arrogant reasoning.
The sheer audacity she had to bite the hands that fed her, to break up with him just because she thought Miles was better and more powerful.
"Please," Maria whispered, shaking her head.
She kept backing up, throwing one useless arm out in front of her as if a flimsy gesture could actually stop him.
He reached for his belt buckle, slowly slipping the leather strap through the metal clasp. After all, it had been far too long since they had been intimate.
He was going to thoroughly enjoy what every other man—including Miles—-wanted to savor in her generous body.
Before the back of Maria's legs even hit the mattress, a panicked cry tore from her throat.
"Somebody help me!" she screamed through her sobs, waving her hands desperately to ward him off.
Daniel took the outburst as an invitation to close the remaining distance, delivering a violent push to her shoulders.
Her scream cut short as she hit the mattress.
Before she could roll away, he dropped onto all fours directly over her writhing body, pinning her down.
Her head spun from the sudden force of the push.
His eyes dropped to her chest, and he squeezed them shut for a brief second as his trousers stretched tight.
It was never hard to get aroused by her, no matter how much he loathed the defiant spirit inside her mind.
"The guts you have when he's around," he sneered, dragging a hand down to her thigh as he started hitching up her dress. "Miles isn't here now, is he?"
"Maria," a voice suddenly called out from the living room. "I'm here. The front door wasn't closed properly, by the way."
Maria's eyes instantly locked on Daniel's.
He cursed violently under his breath and abruptly threw himself off her.
The second his weight lifted, Maria scrambled off the bed and bolted out the door, not even pausing to look back at her abandoned bag.
Daniel swore again, his hands shaking with frustration as he hastily clasped his trousers and began to refasten his belt.
**
"The obvious is pointing to one thing right now," Mrs Genova said as she lifted the white-and-gold porcelain teacup to her lips and took a sip of the hot tea.
She lowered the cup onto the small side table beside the L-shaped sofa where she sat, then leaned back into the cushions, dressed in a white, trim, short-sleeved cotton gown.
Rather than watch the television, her attention remained fixed on the cool night weather beyond the distant balcony across the living room.
Rhea sat opposite the television, still dressed in her work clothes.
Mrs Genova briefly flickered her gaze over her before returning her focus to the balcony.
She wondered what Rhea wanted from all this dedication.
Hopefully, Rhea was not as delusional as Maria about earning her approval as a suitable daughter-in-law.
"Maria is possibly having an affair with my eldest son," she continued.
"I'm not entirely sure, ma," Rhea said, shifting nervously in her seat. "This could be based on assumptions."
"Then do better with your findings," Mrs Genova replied, fixing her a lethal gaze. "Your incompetent information is confusing me."
"Sorry," Rhea said, lowering her head. "I just don't want any blame falling on Mr Miles for this. He's actually been really professional. It's Maria who dresses intentionally to seduce most men in the office for favors. She is such a pretender and acts soft in front of them when you call her out."
"It was Daniel's fault she came in here," Mrs Genova replied. "Now she's becoming even worse than I predicted. Women like her never surprise me."
"Nothing about that girl is special," Rhea added. "Even this whole project thing was Miles' idea, not hers. I just wish he would see her for what she is."
Mrs Genova shifted her gaze to Rhea. "Don't you mean Mr Miles?"
"Y-yes, ma," Rhea said, her gaze faltering like her confidence.
Mrs Genova folded her hands, determined to remind Rhea exactly where her place was.
"I want to understand clearly what your motivation is for doing all this," she said. "I hope it's purely for the extra pay."
Rhea fidgeted with her fingers. "Yes ma," she replied. "I only seek genuine recognition amongst employees, without the sort of underground movements that I suspect Maria is exploiting."
"Of course, Maria will exploit them," Mrs Genova replied, anger creeping into her voice once more. "That girl has nothing else but looks to offer. No background. Nothing."
Footsteps from behind reached Mrs Genova's ears first, her husband's musk scent enveloping her before his hug from behind and kiss on her cheek came next.
She instantly felt relieved by the man she loved's embrace, and she smiled. "Welcome home, honey."
"Good evening sweetheart," he replied with a low, tired voice.
Rhea shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Mr Genova straightened.
"Isn't it a little late to be here, Rhea?" he asked.
Mrs Genova looked back at him.
"Oh no, it's fine. I'm the one who kept her."
She lifted a hand to his jaw, studying the tired lines on his face as his gaze left Rhea to settle on her.
"You should go rest," Mrs Genova said. "You look really tense."
He exhaled and rubbed her wrist gently.
"Join me upstairs soon."
Mrs Genova nodded and withdrew her hand.
He left her side and began ascending the stairs toward their bedroom.
When Mrs Genova's attention returned to Rhea, the younger woman was staring down at her phone.
"You can leave now," Mrs Genova said.
Rhea immediately lifted her face.
"I expect better details the next time you're here. And of course, you'll choose the date yourself."
Mrs Genova picked up her teacup again and shifted her gaze back toward the balcony.
"For your job's sake," she said, raising the cup toward her lips, "it better be worth my time."
Then she closed her eyes and savored another sip of tea.
**
"Tell me everything now!" Crystal said, almost too excitedly, as she emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming pink mug of coffee by its handle.
She approached Maria, who sat on the longer sofa, across the center table and opposite the television.
A little too excited considering the tense atmosphere she had just witnessed between Maria and Daniel.
Maria managed a small smile as she accepted the mug Crystal held out.
"Thank you."
Crystal settled into the single sofa beside the longer one Maria occupied.
"I'm glad I could be of help," Crystal replied, crossing one leg over the other and resting an arm on the sofa armrest. "I was scared at first that I'd interrupt a lover's moment."
Maria took a sip from the cup in her hands.
The moment she had run from the guest room into the living room, she had latched onto Crystal's arm immediately.
Thank God she hadn't completely closed the door.
She had predicted Daniel's behavior accurately.
Too accurately.
And she had quickly informed Daniel, when he emerged from the guestroom later that Crystal would be spending the night here.
Her hands tightened around the cup as she lowered it.
The project was going successfully.
But her life was fast becoming the price.
"Maria?"
Crystal's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
Her eyes lifted.
Crystal was watching her with what looked like genuine concern.
"I'm here if you have to vent," she added with an encouraging smile.
Maria swallowed and looked down at her coffee.
"We just had a misunderstanding."
"I really don't mind staying the entire night," Crystal replied warmly. "It's the least I can do after all the help you've given to me."
Maria's lips felt heavy and her body craved the words and comfort of a friend.
But she knew better.
"I'm alright, really," Maria said with a smile. "You should go check for whatever paper you left behind. I can't really promise what the cleaners might have preserved."
A shadow crossed Crystal's face.
But she quickly covered it with a faint smile.
"Maria," she began. "I know we stopped being friends on the wrong terms, but I really wish all that could stay in the past. I appreciate the help you've given me, and I'm only trying to be here for you the way you've been there for me."
Maria lowered her gaze again.
Her lips trembled slightly before she exhaled, preventing the emotions from reaching her hands.
She had put herself in this mess.
She had to find her own way out.
"Oh!" Crystal suddenly exclaimed.
She reached for the card resting on the center table.
"I love their wines so much."
Mr Kayden's company card.
Mrs Ashford's invitation resurfaced in Maria's memory.
But they were all still extensions of the project's influence.
Miles' influence.
"Yeah," Maria replied, forcing another smile as she looked up at Crystal.
"I also wouldn't mind joining you at some of these company parties," Crystal continued playfully. "I promise I won't reveal anything embarrassing."
Maria couldn't help a light laugh.
"You're hilarious," she said.
Crystal laughed too before slipping the card back onto the table and leaning into the sofa.
"If I have to start making promises too," she continued through a chuckle. "I would too."
"I don't mind you stopping by during weekends though," Maria said, feeling more relaxed from both the coffee and the conversation. "You really have to teach me how to prepare some of those meals of yours."
Crystal beamed.
"Oh they're really complicated but I'll try."
"I'd really appreciate that," Maria replied. "Especially now that…Grace is coming to Mapla."
"Oh wow," Crystal said. "Is she already done with school?"
"Not really. She got a scholarship to Minchstone High school, here in Mapla."
"Isn't that…?"
"Yeah," Maria replied, taking another sip of coffee. "It's the school where we launched the project."
"Oh wow!" Crystal leaned closer as Maria lowered her cup. "Was it also possible because of your influence?"
Maria smiled.
"Grace is a very smart girl and Minchstone was offering a rare kind of scholarship that would really benefit her future college options, so I simply encouraged her to take the exams."
Crystal leaned back. "I understand. But the school is definitely making an exemption because of you too."
Maria laughed and set the coffee cup on the center table. "Then I guess it's luck on my side."
Even if Crystal claimed she had changed, Maria still needed to be careful about what information she shared.
Crystal was an even bigger leak than before.
One capable of extending her disgrace to people who had known her longest.
To the town where she grew up.
To her family.
She stood.
"Thank you so much for earlier," Maria said with a smile. "Just give my phone a beep whenever you're ready to leave okay?"
"Sure," Crystal replied.
Maria nodded and turned away.
Walking toward the guestroom beneath the stairs to retrieve her bag first before heading upstairs.