Herman fell silent for a moment before responding, “I just got back. Let’s not get into such heavy topics—it might ruin our sibling bond.”Tiana burst out laughing. Maria sat quietly in the backseat, listening to the banter between the siblings. She felt her mood ease, enjoying their lighthearted conversation.Soon, they arrived at the restaurant, a familiar place Maria had been to before. The food was always good. After everyone got out of the car, the server led them to a private room.Maria was the last to enter, but just as she was about to step inside, she heard a familiar voice from downstairs.“I’m glad you like it.”“I do. Sidney, you really know how to pick a spot.”Maria paused, her footsteps halting as she stepped back, glancing over the railing. Sure enough, she spotted Sidney walking into the restaurant with a girl by his side. They headed to a booth in the main dining area.What a coincidence.“Maria, what are you looking at?”Tiana, noticing her delay, called out curiou
Maria smiled faintly and waved at Sidney, like greeting an old friend. Sidney, however, coldly averted his gaze and walked off with Diana. Maria finally got a clear look at the girl, who was undeniably beautiful.Herman got into the car and asked, "Miss Conner, where do you live?"Maria gave him the address. "Thank you, Mr. Evans."Herman chuckled lightly. "You're Tiana's friend, no need to be so formal with me."Maria's smile became a bit more relaxed. "Tiana is Tiana, and you're you. It's not the same."Herman was momentarily at a loss for words. He glanced at Maria again. Earlier, she'd been quiet, almost reserved. But now, in this more private moment, he realized she was different from most people. She didn’t seem to care about others’ opinions, acting on her own whims with a laid-back, carefree attitude. It was as though she possessed a truly free spirit.Soon, they arrived at the entrance to her complex.Maria got out of the car. "Goodbye, Mr. Evans."Herman nodded slightl
At the police station, the identities of the middle-aged couple were confirmed. The man was named Gorden Yates, and the woman was Tracy Harris. Both of them insisted that Maria was their daughter. They even presented a birth certificate from years ago. When the police asked why they were only looking for their daughter now, they explained that the child had been lost years ago, and a relative had recently seen Maria in Cloudflare City and remarked on the striking resemblance, prompting them to come find her.It was clear they had come prepared with their story. Since the situation had drawn police attention, it couldn’t just be brushed aside. The authorities arranged for a DNA test to first confirm if there was a parental relationship.Tracy looked at Maria with a face full of excitement and guilt. "I’m sorry, darling. It was my fault back then. After I gave birth to you, I was too weak. I had no idea you’d be taken away. You've suffered all these years."Maria remained indifferen
At that moment, as Sidney looked at Maria's radiant smile, his thoughts briefly drifted. That afternoon, she had been out having dinner with another man. She’d returned without letting him know. And yet...Sidney stopped himself from spiraling further into speculation. His tone was calm as he spoke, "I came to update you on the recent situation at the studio."“Oh?” Maria raised a surprised brow, clearly not expecting such an excuse from him. Nonetheless, she opened the door and said, “Come in, then.”After changing her shoes, Maria added, “Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to take a shower first.” Having spent the day out, she felt uncomfortable with the mix of lingering scents on her, especially after being grabbed by Tracy and Gorden earlier—it made her feel unclean.Sidney didn’t respond, simply stepping inside and taking a quick look around. The place was spotless, and there were no signs of anyone else being there. She hadn’t had other visitors.Sidney sat down on the so
Maria had been lost in thought for a while, and when she snapped back to the moment, the room had gone silent. Puzzled, she glanced over at Sidney. "Hm? Why did you stop talking?""I’m done," Sidney replied, his tone cool."Oh." Maria nodded, handing the tablet back to him. "Got it. You did great. Keep up the hard work."She even flashed him a harmless smile, then casually stood up. "I'm going to dry my hair. Feel free to see yourself out," she said, grabbing her hairdryer from the drawer and standing off to the side as she began drying her hair.Her arm lifted, exposing the soft curve of her waist, while her long hair cascaded down, filling the air with a faint scent. Sidney’s fingers twitched, his gaze fixed on her back for a long moment.Maria wasn’t paying attention to whether Sidney stayed or left. He clearly wasn’t interested in her, and she had shown him that she knew about his intention.Continuing to dry her hair, she assumed he would take the hint and leave.But after on
However, she didn’t notice the brief coldness that flickered in Sidney’s eyes.…When Maria woke up, it was already midday. She struggled to sit up, her body sore and tired. Memories of the night before rushed back to her, leaving her momentarily dazed as she sat on the bed. Turning her head, she spotted her phone—and next to it, a bottle of water and a small packet of birth control pills.Maria stared at the packet for a moment before taking a pill and swallowing it. When she walked out of the bedroom, she was surprised to see Sidney still there, cooking in the kitchen."You're still here?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe.Sidney glanced at her briefly, then returned to the stove. "I’ll leave after you eat."She watched his busy movements. "Last night..."Her words trailed off, and he didn’t seem inclined to pick up the conversation either. It was as if last night had been just a fleeting moment of indulgence, something acted on a whim with no strings attached. No need fo
"Hello?" Maria answered the phone, hearing Tiana's voice on the other end."My dear, from the sound of your voice, it seems like you just woke up. Want to go out and have some fun?"Maria stepped out of her room, glancing at the spotless kitchen. Feeling even more pleased, she asked, "Where are we going?"Tiana replied, "My brother’s friend opened a vineyard. We can experience immersive grape-picking. Want to join?"Maria laughed. "Immersive grape-picking? Can we turn the grapes into wine right after?""If you want, I think that can be arranged," Tiana said."Alright."Maria thought for a moment. Since she had nothing else to do, she agreed."Great! We’re leaving tomorrow morning. I’ll send you the address. Everyone’s meeting there," Tiana informed her."Okay," Maria replied.Tiana let out a mischievous giggle.Maria switched to speakerphone, continuing her meal as she said, "If you have something to say, just say it. Stop being so sneaky."Tiana cleared her throat and asked, "Yesterd
Tiana’s eyes lit up at the mention of horseback riding, "We can ride horses?"She turned to Maria and asked, "Do you know how to ride?"Maria shook her head. "No, I don’t."A hint of disappointment appeared on Tiana’s face. "If you don’t know how to ride, it wouldn’t be fun for me to go alone."Maria said, "There are others here, though."Tiana waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, I don’t want to go already."Maria sighed. Alright, if that was what she wanted.Herman, also looking a bit helpless, shifted his gaze to Maria and said, "If you’re interested in learning, I could teach you how to ride."Tiana immediately perked up at that, grabbing Maria’s arm excitedly. "Are you interested? I really want to go horseback riding."Maria gave her a knowing look. It wasn’t hard to see what she was really up to."We’ll head to the vineyard first," Maria suggested. "There’s plenty of time. Who knows, maybe later I’ll want to try riding.""Good idea, vineyard first."Tiana nodded and shot Herman a