Chapter thirty two.The next morning, Maria stepped into the dining room, where the entire family, except Caleb, was gathered. She exchanged quiet morning greetings before excusing herself to check on Caleb. She knocked on his door, but when there was no response, she pushed it open.Caleb sat in a chair, his gaze fixed on the window. Maria approached him, kissing his cheek, but he didn't flinch or acknowledge her presence.She cleared her throat. "Why aren't you in the dining room?"Caleb's response was laced with despair. "The hunger I feel is so vast that even food can't fill it."Maria nodded sympathetically. "You don't need to worry about anything."Caleb finally turned to her, his eyes blazing with desperation. "I've lost everything, and you expect me not to worry? Come on, make it make sense. As much as I hate to admit it, Ethan has ruined me.”Guilt gnawed at Maria's conscience, making her feel responsible for Caleb's downfall. But she was determined to make things right.

Chapter thirty four.Maria finally found her voice. "What do you mean?" she asked.He looked at her with disgust. "I'm not interested in doing anything for you. If it was really important, you would have told me already instead of getting into bed with me first."Maria felt like she was losing her mind. She couldn't let this opportunity slip away. She quickly got out of bed, wrapping the blanket around her body. She stood in front of the door, blocking his way."If I were you, I wouldn't leave," Maria said, trying to sound calm. The man stared at her, confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.Maria smiled slyly. "I knew you might react this way, so I decided to be one step ahead of you,” She lied.The man's hands dropped from the door handle. "What do you mean?" he repeated, looking even more confused.Maria's hands slid around his chest, tracing his muscles. "You're a man of great reputation," she said. "You wouldn't want it tarnished, would you?" The man's eyebrows shot up. "Sp

Chapter thirty six."Boss, the job is done," a voice said over the phone, and Ethan smiled as he ended the call."The show has only just begun, dear Maria," Ethan said, standing up and smoothing his hair with a comb. He whistled a tune.Someone seems happy," Victoria observed from behind him as she walked inside his room.Ethan chuckled, staring at her through the mirror. "Let's just say someone is getting a taste of their own medicine."Victoria nodded, curious but knowing better than to ask more questions. She had never been able to read Ethan, no matter how hard she tried."Going somewhere?" she asked, noticing him put on his jacket.Ethan turned to her, smiling. "Yes, my dear. I'll be back soon," he said, hugging her briefly before heading out.Victoria couldn't help but stare at Ethan as he walked away, a part of her heart breaking. She had already confided in her grandfather, Sir Edward, about her feelings for Ethan, but he had advised her to move on. "Ethan isn't the kind of m

Chapter thirty Eight.Rose rushed to the police station after seeing the news about her sister's arrest. She burst in, frantically asking, "Where's my sister?"Caleb turned around, and as soon as Rose saw him, she approached him. "What's going on? I saw the news... Maria can't even harm a fly. Also…"Before Rose could finish, Caleb interrupted her. "Can you take a deep breath?"Rose nodded, sniffing and blinking back tears. Caleb gently guided her to a bench, where she sat down.Taking a deep breath, Caleb explained the situation to Rose. Her eyes widened in shock when he said, "Our only option is to beg Ethan.""Beg Ethan," Rose repeated, her voice laced with concern. Caleb nodded solemnly."All the lawyers we've called are refusing to help, no matter how much we offer," Caleb said, frustration etched on his face.Rose's eyes narrowed. "Who's behind this? Who's helping Ethan? There's no way he can have this much power."Caleb lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before answering, "I

Chapter forty.Maria approached Caleb, who was packing his clothes into a box, ignoring her. She stood there, her hands clasped together, and cleared her throat to get his attention."What's the next plan?" she asked, trying to break the silence.Caleb scoffed, turning to face her. "Your house," he said, but Maria immediately shook her head."No, we can't go to my house," she said, but Caleb chuckled. "Why not?"Maria didn't answer. Deep down, she felt that going back to her house would be a humiliation. Her neighbors would gossip and laugh at her, but she couldn't admit this to Caleb."Answer me, why can't we go there?" Caleb barked, making Maria flinch. She composed herself quickly."Nothing," she said hesitantly. "I just feel we... uh... shouldn't go there."Caleb nodded. "Fine, we won't go there. You'd better come up with a better plan for us."Maria remained silent, her hands rubbing against each other nervously."Go on, speak up," Caleb said impatiently. "I'm waiting for you."