Chapter Seventy One - Maria

My mouth went dry. "Your dad? No, I haven't seen him. He's probably still with my father. They were catching up downstairs.""That's not possible," Erica said as she crossed her arms. "Duke's in the sitting room with everyone else. I just came from there."I shrugged, hoping I looked casual and not like someone hiding a whole man under her bed. "Maybe he went to the bathroom? Or stepped outside for some air?"Erica studied me for a long moment, and I fought the urge to look away. Could she smell Petyr's cologne mixed with the musk of our lovemaking? Could she somehow sense that her father was literally hiding under my bed, probably still partially undressed?I was sure she could. I mean, one had to be stupid to miss that. "You're acting weird," she said finally."Am I?" I laughed nervously. "I'm just tired. The party planning took a lot out of me."Erica's eyes narrowed, and she took another step forward. I held my breath, terrified that she would spot Petyr's feet or his discarded

Last Updated : 2025-10-13

Chapter Seventy Two - Maria

"Morning, mija," Mom's cheerful voice filled my ear when the line connected "Did I wake you?" She did in fact pull me out of my sweet dreams but thanks to her, I wasn't going to end up late to work. "No, I was already up," I lied, heading to my closet to pick out an outfit for the day. "How's Spain? Are you guys having fun?" "Oh, Maria, it's absolutely wonderful!" Her excitement was infectious. "Your father and I just had breakfast at this little café near the beach. The churros con chocolate were to die for." I heard Dad's voice in the background, and Mom laughed. "Duke says to tell you that he tried to order in Spanish and accidentally asked for a horse instead of eggs." I laughed as I pulled out a navy pencil skirt and cream blouse that I had worn at least a hundred and fifty times. I needed a new wardrobe ASAP. "A horse? Dad, that's impressive even for you." "In my defense," Dad's voice came closer as he apparently grabbed the phone from Mom, "caballo and huevos sound ver

Last Updated : 2025-10-14

Chapter Seventy Three - Maria

Two police officers stood outside my office door. Mrs. LeVaughn was there too, looking distressed, along with several other executives I didn't know well. And Erica. Standing with her arms crossed, her face composed but her eyes gleaming with something that made my stomach drop. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice uncertain as I approached. The officers turned to look at me. One of them, a tall man with graying hair, glanced at something on his tablet. "Maria Bennett?" he asked. "Yes, that's me. What's this about?" Erica stepped forward, and the look she gave me was pure ice. "That's her," she said clearly, her voice carrying down the hallway. "Arrest her." My heart stopped. "What? Erica, what are you talking about?" The officers moved toward me, and I took an instinctive step back. "Miss Bennett," the gray-haired officer said, "you're under arrest for corporate espionage and theft of proprietary information." "What?" The word came out as a strangled gasp. "That's insane.

Last Updated : 2025-10-14

Chapter Seventy Four - Erica

I sat in the leather revolving chair in Dad's office, slowly spinning back and forth as I watched him pace behind his desk. "You did what?" His voice was low, dangerous, his anger barely controlled. Dad almost never used that tone on me. I stopped spinning and met his gaze head-on.It was a struggle keeping my expression neutral despite the satisfaction blooming in my chest."I had Maria arrested," I said so calmly, one may think we were discussing quarterly reports instead of the woman he'd been sleeping with. "This morning. The police took her in for corporate espionage and theft of proprietary information."Dad's face went from pale to red in seconds and his jaw clenched so hard "You had her arrested? You had her arrested?" he repeated, his voice rising with each word. "You had Maria Bennett, one of our most valuable employees, arrested?""She's not valuable if she's selling our secrets to competitors, Dad." I leaned back in the chair, my hand resting on my bump, a reminder tha

Last Updated : 2025-10-25

Chapter Seventy Five - Maria

The holding cell smelled like industrial cleaner mixed with something I couldn't quite identify and the metal bench was cold against my thighs even through my skirt. I sat with my back straight and my hands folded in my lap, trying to maintain some sortof dignity even though I'd been fingerprinted, photographed, and searched like a common criminal.Because that's what they thought I was. A corporate spy. A thief.When the cell door banged shut behind me, I noticed that I was not alone.There was woman sitting on the opposite bench. She looked to be in her early thirties, with bleached blonde hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She wore ripped jeans and a tank top that had seen better days.And she was staring straight at me like I was the reason she was behind bars."Hi," I said in a bid to be polite even though all I wanted was to curl into a ball and disappear."Do you think pigeons have feelings?" she asked.I blinked, completely taken about, "What?""Pigeons. You know, the birds.