Sidney glanced down at Maria in his arms. Her eyes were closed, and a soft blush still colored her cheeks, her expression one of complete satisfaction. The hint of seduction lingered in the curve of her lips, which were now swollen from their earlier kiss.His breath deepened as he recalled what had just happened in the car. Tightening his hold on her, he strode purposefully toward the apartment building.Maria remained still, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. The corners of her lips tugged upward in a subtle smile.When they reached her door, Sidney said, "Unlock the door."Maria, half-asleep, lazily lifted her hand from under the jacket and pressed her fingerprint to the lock. The door clicked open.Sidney shook his head with a trace of amusement. "Still too weak to do anything?"Maria nestled closer into his chest, murmuring, "Mmhmm.""Not even enough strength to open the door?" Sidney asked, his tone teasing.She chuckled softly. "Maybe just enough for that."She reached out
In the photo, Maria’s elegant smile lit up the frame, her eyes fixed on the camera with effortless grace, while Sidney’s gaze rested on her, clear and steady, tinged with curiosity. His sharp, clean-cut features only added to the charm of the moment, creating a sense of intimacy in the captured image. Sidney noticed the picture but didn’t protest—at this point, he was indifferent to what she did. Their relationship was complicated enough as it was.Maria, on the other hand, was thrilled with the photo. She immediately set it as her lock screen and posted it on her social media. Within minutes, she received a flood of likes and comments, but she ignored them for the time being.Putting her phone aside, she rested her chin on her hand and gazed at Sidney."You said you were hungry," Sidney commented in his usual calm tone.Without missing a beat, Maria replied, "Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘feast for the eyes’?"Sidney paused mid-bite, casting a cool glance her way. "If you’re no
"Huh?" Maria looked at the text message, finding it almost laughable. Mary? Her mother?She had grown up in an orphanage and was later handpicked and trained by Lucas. There was a time when she had searched for her biological parents, but the technology back then wasn’t advanced enough to find them.After some time, she gave up. Now, out of nowhere, someone claimed to be her mother?Maria stared at the message for a moment, deep in thought, before getting up and heading into another room.The room was soundproof, and the computer equipment was state-of-the-art. She powered up her computer and quickly began tracking the number. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, and soon enough, the screen was filled with the information she had been looking for.She clicked through the data, stopping at a photo of a family of three. The man appeared humble, and the woman looked tired and worn out, but her features hinted at a once-beautiful face. It wasn’t hard to imagine that she had been quite
She appeared carefree and audacious. Maria's demeanor was the perfect mix of frustratingly playful yet deeply disarming. As she lounged lazily in her chair, Sidney watched her in silence, contemplating his next move. Finally, he broke the silence. "I want forty percent.""No," Maria replied casually, but her tone left no room for negotiation. "Thirty percent."Sidney sighed deeply, feeling the weight of her unwavering decision. Maria, noticing his frustration, flashed a teasing smile. "Or, we can go back to my original offer—you marry me, and it all becomes our shared property. No need to split anything."Sidney's response was swift. "Let’s just sign the contract."Maria raised an eyebrow, amused. Clearly, marriage wasn’t on his agenda. “Tsk...”Was he a fool for passing up such a convenient offer? She called the legal team, quickly preparing the contract. Once everything was in place, both of them signed, making Sidney an official partner and operator of the studio.With the pa
Desmond immediately received Maria's message.All of them had a special distress program written by Maria on their phones—one press, and their location would be synced instantly.At that moment, Desmond was at the airport. He frowned as he read the distress message.Maria was in trouble!But he had to fly abroad right away—Lucas had just assigned him a task that needed to be completed as soon as possible!After a brief moment of thought, something came to him, and he dialed a number."Hello?" A clear, pleasant male voice answered.Desmond said, "Hello, Mr. Troy, I'm Mr. Tudor's assistant, Desmond Blake. We've met before."Sidney briefly recalled and quickly remembered him, then asked curiously, "Mr. Blake, what can I do for you?"Desmond responded, "I'm sending you a location. You need to go there and find Maria. Something has happened to her. I'm too far away to make it."Sidney frowned. "What happened to her?"Desmond replied, "I don't know. Just go quickly." After saying that, he
How disgusting!Maria's whole body recoiled in disgust, but she was utterly powerless to move.What could she do?Was this really how it would end for her today?She forced her eyes open, glaring at the man. Though her vision was blurred, her gaze was sharp and cold, like a blade dipped in poison, cutting through the air with chilling menace.The man froze for a moment.That look... it felt murderous.But so what?Once she was under him, she’d be begging for more soon enough.Unfazed by the warning in her eyes, the man reached out and began to undo her clothes."Ding-dong!"Suddenly, the doorbell rang.The man hesitated. Who would come at this time?"Who’s there?"He was visibly annoyed, just about to get what he wanted, and now interrupted.There was no response. He walked to the door and glanced through the peephole but saw nothing.What was going on?He turned to walk back, but the doorbell rang again.It had to be someone playing a prank.He decided he’d give them a warning, or th
The next morning.Sunlight peeked into the room as Maria groggily opened her eyes, only to realize she was clinging to Sidney like an octopus.The memories of last night came rushing back like a tide. A cold glint flickered in her eyes as she turned onto her back.Sidney stirred, glanced at her, and said, "Last night..."Maria cut him off, "Last night, someone deliberately set me up."Sidney nodded. "I’ll help you."Maria’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before she suddenly asked, "Why?""What?" Sidney looked momentarily taken aback.Maria fixed her gaze on him, her expression serious and clear. "Why did you stay last night? And now, why are you offering to help me?"Sidney’s face tightened. After a brief pause, he finally said, "You didn’t let me leave last night."Maria blinked, then unexpectedly laughed. She sat up swiftly, straddling his waist."Sidney, you’re lying."Her fingers traced lightly over his chest. "Last night, I told you to stop. So why didn’t you let me go?"At that m
Sidney glanced at his phone—it was Fawn.Since he’d turned her down last time, she hadn’t contacted him. Why was she suddenly calling now?“Hello, Miss Powell,” he answered, keeping his tone polite.Fawn’s voice was serious. “Where are you right now?”Sidney asked, “Is there something you need, Miss Powell?”“There is. It’s important!” Fawn’s voice grew sharper. “Your former boss, she’s not as innocent as she seems. I saw her last night checking into a hotel with an old man. Sidney, don’t let her fool you!”Sidney’s brow furrowed immediately.“Do you have proof, Miss Powell?”“I saw it with my own eyes! How about this—I’ll send you the location. Come see for yourself, and you’ll know I’m not lying.”Sidney responded, “Alright, send it over.”Last night, Maria had been with him the entire time.And before he showed up, there had been an old man in that room.Maria had clearly been set up.And now, this call from Fawn... It was hard not to suspect she was involved.Fawn continued, “I’ll