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
Gorden and Tracy exchanged a glance. Now that their true intentions had been exposed, there was no need to keep pretending.Gorden’s expression hardened as he spoke bluntly, "Since you already know, it’s simple—you, as the older sister, should help your brother. Give us sixty thousand dollars to pay his debt, and we won’t make a fuss about you not taking care of us."Maria burst out laughing as if she’d just heard the punchline of a great joke. She turned to Sidney, "Isn’t this hilarious? They abandoned me at an orphanage because I was a girl, and now they come crawling back asking for money."Sidney’s face grew cold as he listened. He hadn’t known about Maria’s past, and hearing it now left him angry on her behalf. After a moment’s pause, he said, "We can call the police. You can report them for abandonment."Maria blinked in surprise. "Why didn’t I think of that? Let’s do it.""Alright," Sidney responded, pulling out his phone and swiftly calling the police.Gorden hadn’t expected
"Now?" Maria asked, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.Sidney raised an eyebrow in surprise. She was nervous?Seeing her reaction brought a sudden sense of excitement to his heart. "You’ve met my mom before. You know she’s a kind person. She’ll treat you really well.""I know." Maria nodded. She was well aware that Ruth was warm and gentle, always smiling when they spoke. She enjoyed talking with her and always felt a comforting warmth in her presence, though she couldn’t quite put it into words.But that was then. Now, things were different. Her role had changed, and with it came new anxieties."I think I need to prepare myself," Maria admitted.Sidney nodded with understanding. "That’s fine. We’re not in a rush. We have plenty of time."Maria let out a small sigh of relief.When they got home, the day’s events had left her feeling drained. After a relaxing shower, she lay down, her mind swirling with a mix of thoughts. Sidney climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around he
That evening, when Sidney came home, Maria shared the news with him.Sidney was stunned! After all, there had been some tension between him and Lucas in the past, especially due to the somewhat complicated relationship he had with Aveline. Sidney never expected Lucas to give them such a generous wedding gift—it was completely unexpected.But Maria was thrilled. "It’s a gift from the boss; we have to accept it. Are you off tomorrow? Let’s go check out the house."If they liked it, they could move in right away. If not, they could always sell it and find something else."Sure," Sidney agreed, pushing aside his mixed thoughts.That night, neither of them got much rest. By the time they left the house the next day, it was nearly noon.When they arrived at the gated villa community, the security measures were extremely strict. The guards required registration, and they even needed to input their identity information.Maria appreciated this level of security.Sitting in the car, she sugge