INICIAR SESIÓN~Maria Pov~ My mouth was unable to form the right words. "Is something wrong?" Finn asked, trying to pull my attention back. I yanked my hand away from Lewis's grip and turned to Finn, forcing myself into a conversation with him. He glanced toward Lewis, but I gave Finn an awkward smile, and we continued talking. Trying everything I could to avoid noticing every single thing about Lewis, I excused myself from Finn to get some fresh air. I slipped through a side door that led to a narrow alley behind the restaurant. String lights hung loosely overhead, clearly meant for smoke breaks. It was empty. Just what I needed. "What are you doing right now?" My body stiffened, surprised by the voice. I knew whose it was—but more than that, I was surprised he'd followed me. "Mind telling me what that was all about?" he asked, approaching me. "What are you talking about?" I denied, his presence made me feel trapped. He didn't speak, but I could feel his gaze on me. I took a s
~Maria Pov~ My mundane weeks were coming to an end. After my realization about Lewis, I'd become distant not that I was sure he'd noticed, but it didn't matter. I'd spent most days sleeping and listening to my dad's fishing tales. He was enjoying his new job, and it had kept him out of drinking. Like right now—he'd been talking for the past few hours about his last big catch. "So you get back to work next week?" he asked, finally interested in something different. "Yes," I said. "Though there's a mixer event tomorrow." I picked up my empty plate and went to place it in the kitchen, then came back and sat down next to him. "Have you spoken to Eric lately?" he drawled. My head tilted, now facing him. "Why?" I asked. "I didn't borrow anything lately," he stammered. This time, it was me who was guilty of that, but I wondered why he was even asking. "I was thinking of pitching in. I'm making some money now," he confessed. You could tell he didn't want to admit it; he sti
~Maria Pov~ I sat in the tub, my hands tracing where he'd touched me. He'd stopped once he thought I was satisfied—though this time, I'd tried to hold back a little longer. That didn't last once his hands brushed my lap. He'd never touched me there before. It was another step forward. "I'm an idiot," I muttered to myself, sinking my head fully beneath the water. I stayed under longer than I needed to, the water muffling everything. (Can I really keep doing this?) I thought. As much as I wanted to avoid what was bugging me, the whole Teresa situation wasn't going away. And if that text really was from Vivienne, I had no idea how I was supposed to face that. (Miserable, it said. Wasn't that already where I was?) I pulled myself back up for air, settling in and staring at the ceiling. I never expected to become his mistress. But here I was, anyway. I looked at the door, pulled myself out of the water, and began to dry off. From the drawer, I picked out something new—a cream n
~Maria Pov~ "This is why women get such a bad reputation. They really just don't go far without some men backing them up," Josh said. Hearing those words from him irritated me. He had no right to say that, given the relationship he had with the director—something that would be considered questionable in some places. I wasn't one to judge, but the way the director played favorites with him was no different from his comment. "Guys do it too. It's the acting industry, we're all guilty," I said. I watched him try to adjust himself, giving a slight cough. "I didn't mean it that way," he responded. "We worked with her. She was a good actress. Let's not act like the press, judging her," I said, not waiting to hear his response as the curtains opened. We were about to address the final episode, which had just aired. "Brace yourself. They're going to be brutal," Josh said, walking past me as the camera lights flashed aggressively. I couldn't see properly at first, but I adjusted
~Lewis Pov~ **Earlier** The sudden knock broke the pace of her lips on mine. My hands were still wrapped around her waist, reluctant to let go—but the moment she stopped, so did I. My secretary interrupted, saying Chairman Benjamin was here. Discussions with him lately left me exhausted. I watched her adjust herself, my gaze following every movement. I let out a breath as she walked away, and Benjamin came in. I already knew what he was here for. Vivienne's tantrums had been getting worse, which meant he kept stepping in to smooth things over. "You're really going all out, aren't you?" he said, taking my seat without asking. It used to be his chair, before I became CEO. "I'm guessing this is a coincidence as well?" "No," I replied. He studied me for a while, and I took the seat across from him instead. "Maria is strictly an investment." "I might believe that, but Vivienne doesn't see it that way," he said. "So how about giving her some assurance?" "I took her to the
~Maria Pov~ The text came in exactly a week later, just as she'd said. I'd checked the address twice beforehand, and it hadn't looked sketchy. The garage on the 5th floor. Don't worry, it's safe. I sighed, adjusting my cap and making sure the face mask covered my face properly. The building looked like an ordinary parking garage, but I kept glancing around anyway, hoping it really was as safe as she'd said. Keeping the bag hidden at home had been hard enough. Now, walking through the garage with it in hand, I kept my head down, half-expecting someone to stop me and ask what was inside. "Over here," I heard Teresa's voice cut through , and I turned toward it. She was resting against a car. "What's with the face mask?" I didn't answer right away. I dropped the bag at my feet, my eyes catching on the car behind her—packed with luggage. "Are you leaving or something?" I asked. Pulling the mask down. "What do you think?" she said, approaching me. I picked the bag back up







