Maria could not believe what Hugh Steele had asked her to do. She had thought this was going to be an easy mission. In. Out. And her bag of cash. She already planned out what she had to do when she finished with this. She would take the money, go to a new city with a new identity, find a job and settle down. It was not supposed to be this hard. Steele's voice still rung in her ears like a ring tune."Step 2, Maria. If you fuck this up, you fall alone. I will not pick you up from whatever trouble Bruce puts you in." He had warned her and she already knew this. She knew when he had approached her the first time through his right hand man. The man had warned her that if she chose to do this, she was on her own if everything went south. It was funny to her how they kept using the word "choose". She did not have a choice. Steele made that clear when he showed her the videos in his possession. He had the power to ruin her life permanently. She was supposed to sneak into Bruce's office and
Claire stepped into her room with a smile on her face. Her mother stared at her with a puzzled look. "Where have you been, Claire? I called, I texted, I went to Bruce's suite. He was not available, which is not unusual. But, you should know how worried I was to consider doing that." Claire twirled a lock of her hair and stepped slowly towards her mother who was sitting on a couch. Her mother's face looked stern and serious."I went on a tour of the Forbidden City… with Bruce." Claire said, with a glint in her eyes. Her mother looked confused."Bruce? We have our own tour guide and how did he even agree to go on a tour with you? What did you do, Claire?" Her mother asked her. She stood up from the couch as she said this."I did not do anything. Just a few things, anyway. I found out he was going in tours too and not just stuck in his room attending to his company. I had to find a way to join his team." Claire shrugged and went to get a cup of water for herself. Her mother's voice trai
Maria was going to do all she could to save herself. No one would do it for her. Not her brother. Not Aurora. Not anyone. She was going to do as Steele had ordered and she was going to stuff her conscience at the bottom of the Mississippi river if she had to. She stepped out of her room. It was midnight and everyone was in their rooms except Nene. Nene liked to stay in the reading room and flip through children stories. Lee said it helped her find some sleep. Something about her grandchild who used to live with her, but died in her sleep after Nene had read her a bedtime story. Nene had so many conspiracy theories about those children stories after that tragic loss. The doctors said it was an aneurysm. These things just happen, they had said. But Nene knew of all the things to happen, it could not have been a brain aneurysm.With the knowledge that only Nene could possibly awake at this hour, she had approximately three hours to find the young master's office so she could get the infa
"Hmm, so?" Nene asked, suspicion casting a different glow to her eyes. Maria squirmed a little and tried to act awkward. "So what?" She asked."So, what are you doing out here?" Nene asked, it looked like her patience was beginning to run on a short fuse. Maria nodded, as if in understanding."So, I was… I am going to be honest. I have not been keeping track of my you know…" Maria acted like she was too shy to mention what it was. Nene edged closer to her slowly. "Are you… are you pregnant, Maria? Were you planning to run away?" Nene's eyes widened with each word she said. It felt like she was reaching a conclusion by herself. Maria felt compelled to go with Nene's assumptions. But what would she say when there was no growing bump, no water breaking, no miscarriage, even worse no baby. She thought against the idea."Uhm, no. I am not pregnant. I needed sanitary pads because I am well… I had no idea where they were."Nene's face went from suspicion to sympathy in a split second. "O
Claire went to the door to find out who could be knocking at their hotel room. She threw a glance at her mother who was reclining on the couch. She had a blank expression on and Claire could not figure out if she was scared or just nonchalant. Claire swung the door open and there stood Nick.Her mouth fell open, his eyes looked like it would fall out from it's sockets. They both recollected themselves and acted like everything was normal."Well well well, hello stranger." Claire greeted him and he nodded with an easy smile. This felt really awkward for Claire, she wondered if he felt the same. He strutted confidently towards Claire's mother with the bouquet of white roses in his hand. Her mother could not help the rosy glow that spread through her cheeks. Claire rolled her eyes. This all felt like a play."Hello baby." Nick said to her mother. Claire could not help the scoff that escaped her lips. Her mother shot her a look that could be interpreted as "back off, lady." Claire lifted
Aurora looked like a deer caught between headlights. She knew she was in a compromising position. Her mind was going a million miles per minute, trying to figure out what to say or the right explanation to give. "What are you doing in my room at this time of the day, Aurora? Cat got your tongue?" She approached her slowly like a predator approaching prey. The way her eyes darted wildly around Aurora, Aurora knew then that if she got out of that room unscathed, then it was a big streak of luck that fate had sent her way. "I know how this looks." She said in a quiet tone. Maria cocked her head in a direction."You think?" "I know. I was not snooping or anything." "Then, what were you doing in my room when I was not there?" She asked, her fear that she might have found out something was being drowned out by the anger that came with the blatant invasion of privacy. "I was looking for something I misplaced. It has to be here, it got missing from the day I came to see you." Her confiden
"You and Maria would be spending a while together. We need to sort out the library. The young master wants the organization system to be rearranged. He sent details as to how to order the books. No worries, ladies. This will be fun, I promise you. Seeing as a friendship is already blossoming, this might fasten the process." Nene said this without looking to see how Maria and Aurora were throwing daggers at each other with their eyes. Nene finally faced them with an infectious smile and held both of them with her hands. "The library is on the third floor, so you have to take the elevator. The elevators are in the hall that comes before the dinner room. It might not be so easy to spot, but I am sure you two are very smart women. You will definitely figure it out." Nene said with a smile and led them out of the room. They both walked in silence to the hall Nene had described. "What is going on here? There are no elevator doors anywhere here." Maria said this impatiently, she stormed he
Claire's mother stared at Claire for a while. Then, she started laughing. She laughed for a while. Nick plastered a false smile, as though his nerves were not dancing around like baby snakes. Claire stared at her mother, with confusion. She wondered what could be funny in what she had just said. Her mother calmed herself down and then decided to speak again."I know you always like to play tricks on me. This one, this one has to be the funniest so far. There is no way you could have dated Nick."Her mother said this with a strong kind of conviction. Claire shook her head sadly. She had not even sounded like it was a thought she had considered. "I do not understand. Why do you have so much certainty that I have never really dated him?" She asked, wanting more clarity. Her mother smiled calmly, she did not seem like someone who could be made to agree with Claire on this matter."Because my baby has never been to the big city. And i promised to invite him over one of these holidays when