"I’m starving," Maria said as she pulled her hand away, breaking the tension that had built between them.Sidney nodded, his voice calm. "I’ve already made breakfast. Wash up, and it'll be ready.""Alright," she responded, tossing the covers aside and sliding out of bed.Her pale skin was adorned with faint traces of last night—bruises from his grip, tender marks where his lips had lingered. The sight told the story of their passion, but Maria didn’t seem to mind. She moved with ease, disappearing into the bathroom without a second thought.Sidney’s eyes followed her every movement, heat rising again in his chest. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay composed as the door shut behind her.Moments later, her voice called out, "Can you grab me a dress?"Sidney let out a breath, heading to her walk-in closet. As he stood in front of the endless rows of clothes, he paused. There were so many choices—elegant dresses, casual outfits. For a brief moment, he was lost in indecision.Fin
Since she had mentioned marriage, Sidney was determined to ask again. If she refused, he wouldn’t press further. Maria quietly observed him, then asked, "Sidney, are you really sure? I’m pretty unpredictable. One day, I might just get bored of you, and then we’ll have to get divorced."His eyes were full of sincerity as he responded, "I’ve thought it through. I want to marry you. I’ll do everything I can to make our marriage work and never let you feel tired of me. I want us to go the distance together."There was no denying the stir in her heart, especially when he was looking at her like that—like she was his entire world.Without thinking, Maria leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips. "You’re so sweet."Sidney’s hand found the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. When they finally pulled away, both of their breaths were a little uneven."Maria, marry me?""Okay," she replied without hesitation this time.The moment she said yes, she could practically see fireworks bursting i
Maria accepted the bouquet and took a sniff, the delicate fragrance lingering at the tip of her nose. Only then did Sidney pull out the marriage certificate, handing it to her."Doesn't it look better with the flowers? More ceremonial?" Hearing this, a deeper smile spread across Maria's lips. "You sure know a lot, huh?"Sidney replied, "I pay attention to you. I know you love taking pictures. If it were just the certificate, you'd find it too plain."Maria laughed and took the marriage certificate, adjusting the angle with the bouquet before starting to snap pictures.It didn’t take long before she was done. Handing the certificate back to Sidney, she got into the car without hesitation.Sidney carefully put the marriage certificate away, then got in the car and asked, "How about we grab a bite to celebrate?"Maria, still looking at her phone while selecting photos, said, "We just ate. I'm not hungry yet. Let’s go take wedding photos."Sidney chuckled at that. "Alright."By the time t
Maria thought Lucas must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. Since when was he so easygoing? Usually, it was a miracle if he didn’t work them to the ground, but today, he was offering her a break?This thought crossed her mind, and she voiced it aloud, "Boss, are you feeling alright today?"Lucas was speechless.Among his subordinates, only Maria dared speak to him like that, with no regard for formalities. But he couldn’t do anything about it—Maria was both highly capable and incredibly loyal.Lucas glanced at Aveline beside him, holding back his temper as he said, "Do you want the time off or not?""Of course I do!" Maria agreed without hesitation. Lucas was showing her some grace today, and she wasn't about to waste the opportunity."Just let me know once the date is set," Lucas replied calmly."Got it," Maria answered, then quickly ended the call....Lucas turned to Aveline and asked, "Is that enough sincerity for you?"Aveline shook her head. "Not quite."Lucas look
As the two of them stepped out of the bridal shop, a warm breeze blew past, carrying with it a hint of stifling heat. Maria squinted slightly, a faint smile lingering on her lips."Mary!" Suddenly, a voice called out from across the street.Maria's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a coldness in her eyes. On such a perfect day, someone just had to come and spoil it—what bad luck."Let’s go," she said, not bothering to glance at the person calling her. Instead, she gripped Sidney’s hand and walked toward the car parked nearby.Sidney sensed her shift in mood and asked, "What’s wrong?"Maria replied, "I’m tired. I just want to go home and rest."Sidney nodded, opening the car door for her. He then drove in the direction of her place."Mary!" Tracy called out several times, but Maria didn’t even look in her direction. Frustrated, Tracy hurried across the street only to be left standing in a cloud of exhaust as the car drove away, leaving her fuming."Ungrateful brat!" she muttered
As evening fell, Maria slowly woke up. A soft, muted glow filled the room, and for a moment, she felt a bit disoriented. Just then, she noticed an added weight on her. Looking down, she saw Sidney’s arm draped over her.Turning her head, she found him still asleep, his breathing calm and steady, his body pressed close to hers.In the dim light, Maria quietly watched him for a while, a soft smile gradually forming on her lips. She thought, perhaps her decision had been the right one after all. Marriage wasn’t so bad.She didn’t move, just lay there watching him for a few more moments. Though she couldn’t fall back asleep, she didn’t want to wake him either.As dusk settled in and the room darkened, Sidney began to stir. He turned over, but his arm remained around her."Are you awake?" Maria asked."Yeah," Sidney responded softly, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Hungry?"Maria replied, "A little. We’ve got dinner plans tonight. We can head straight there."Sidney nodded. "Alright."Maria
After thinking it over, Tiana decided to drop the idea. Just then, the food began to arrive.“Let’s dig in! The food here is really good. Maria and I used to come here all the time,” Tiana said cheerfully.With that, the conversation shifted, and everyone started eating.At one point, Maria excused herself to use the restroom. As she stepped out, she bumped into Herman at the doorway. He was on the phone, his voice calm and measured, speaking with patience—clearly talking to a woman on the other end.To be fair, Herman was an impressive man. He was kind, successful, and undeniably handsome—anyone could easily be drawn to him. But someone else had already claimed Maria’s heart.With a faint smile, Maria approached just as Herman ended the call."I didn’t expect you to get married so quickly," he said, breaking the silence.Maria replied, "That’s just how I am. When I decide on something, I go for it. I follow my heart.""That’s a good way to live," Herman remarked. "You seem happy and
Maria gazed at Sidney’s face, suddenly laughing softly before leaning in to kiss the corner of his lips."Sidney, I didn’t realize you were like this."Her kiss deepened the intensity in his eyes as he asked, "Like what?""Very easy to please," Maria replied with a teasing smile.He wasn’t demanding—just because she was his wife, he didn’t let anyone’s provocations affect him.Sidney held her gaze for a long moment without saying anything.She had misunderstood.He wasn’t a man easily satisfied. In fact, it was quite the opposite—he wanted much more. But for now, in front of her, he kept those desires in check. What if he pushed too far and things backfired? He would never forgive himself.So, he would take his time. They were married now, and they had all the time in the world.As they stepped out of the car and headed towards the elevator, two people suddenly rushed forward, blocking their way.Maria’s smile vanished instantly when she saw Gorden and Tracy.They had somehow snuck