"Of course I'll do it. Why are we friends if I can't help you out when you need me."Maria smiled heartily. "I hit the jackpot with you." she said. "I hope you won't mind if we stopped by my place first so I can take a quick shower and have a change of clothe. I'm a bit sweaty and I'll stink if i don't.""there's no problem." Li-lah first drove home and went straight into the bathroom to take a shower. She changed into something simple yet classy , red spaghetti-strap blouse and black jeans with heels. She ran her fingers through her hair, styled it into a pony tail, straightened her glasses and applied lip gloss and dark blush on her lips. She walked out of the bathroom and headed for the door. She remembered something and rushed over to her secret room. This was the main reason she had come home. She opened a drawer and took out two little black box. They contained a bug with which she would be able to listen in on every conversation going on at the place she planted it. "sorry
Lilah immediately left the device and rushed back to where she was sitting. Holding her hand, she tried her beat to shake off her fear and panic. She was almost caught again. She needs to be very careful.Xavier gave her the first aid box and a wet towel. "thank you." she said and took it. Moments later, Maria came in and told her they could leave now that she was done talking with her father. The excitement and joy Maria was feeling showed on her face.Li-lah drove Maria back to her house. "I'm so excited." Maria said as she stepped out of the car. "my father complimented me for the first time In a long while. And said that I have potential in the things I do.""I'm sure your father is really proud of you." Li-lah said. "did he agree to give you the work you wanted?" "He said hell let me know on my birthday. I'm positive he'll accept.""Alright." Li-lah said."Hey! It's my husband." Maria said when she noticed a car coming her way."Oh wow. There he is." Li-lah said and the car s
Li-lah looked at the mirror one last time. She was stunning in a shimmering white gown with gold stitching, her hair loose and falling past her shoulders, her arms glimmering with gold.Tonight she was going to go all in. If Mateo thinks he could just ignore her and go just like that then he was crazy. Tonight she was going to make him realize just how much he needed her. She was going to make him desire her like no other woman before. She was going to make him jealous and angry at the same time. Tonight, she was going full throttle and was going to get exactly what she wanted from Mateo.She went outside to see Daniel waiting for her. "you look beautiful ", he said with a grin as he took her hands in his."thank you" Li-lah said as she stared into his brown eyes. "I've missed you Daniel" she said."I have missed you Li"They got into his car and drove off to the venue. This was a party held for the elites and high society. They all stood on the patio that overlooked the ocean, loo
Diego had another meeting to attend so he had to leave before the party ended."Thank you for showing up Mr Diego." Maria said warmly, "We will see you next week.""Thank you for inviting me." "Li-lah? Why don't you see him off, I have to go retouch my make up." Maria said. That was a white lie. She had seen the look of interest on his face whenever he looked at Li-lah. She knew he was attracted to her and she wanted the two of them to be alone in private. " Alright Maria. " Li-lah said, "I'll take care of him. ""Thanks Li-lah. " Maria replied, "I will see you soon.""See you soon!" Li-lah called out to her.Li-lah walked with Diego to the exit. Once they were alone, they stood facing each other.Li-lah bowed lightly to show her appreciation. "Thank you so much from showing up Mr Diego. I know busy..... She stopped talking when she saw him raise his right hand to acknowledge her courtesy." Can you stop with the official attitude? We've known each other for a long time even thoug
Instead of joining Mateo and Maria at their table, Li-lah decided to look for an empty table and stay. She had her reason.Few minutes later, she noticed Robert walking towards her. 'perfect' she thought."Hi!" he smiled."Hi!" she responded with a slight blush."I don't think I've told you how beautiful you look today."She blushed even more."Thanks but you don't have to…""I don't?""Yes."He knew he didn't have to tell her that but couldn't help it.She made a small sound and laughed."You're too cute when you blush," he complimented. He placed his hand in her waist and moved closer to her. From where she stood, Delfina could see her drunk husband flirting with another woman. She felt so angry and wanted to see the woman slapped. But she knew she couldn't do that. She blamed Maria for bringing her to the party. She searched for Maria and stormed towards her. What the hell Maria!" Delfina yelled as she approached Maria. "Why did you bring that woman here?" She asked, angrily poi
"Wow! You're so good at this and you have a great body too." Maria's dance partner complimented her much to the displeasure of Julia and Natalia."Oh no! Don't flatter me." Maria rolled her eyes."But it's true. Don't you think so Li-lah?" Li-lah said nothing. She only gave a small smile. "Given her talent, I think she should come to club titans." He spoke further. Li-lah shook her head. "I don't think she would want to come." she said."What's club titan?" Natalia asked. "it's a club specifically for bachata dancers." Li-lah explained."That's actually a pretty good idea. She should come." Natalia added."You guys should come too." Julia said referring to all their male partners. "Do you want to come?" Li-lah asked. "I'll book a VIP spot for us.""erm, I don't know if.... " Come on, it'll be fun. Let's go in the day of your wedding anniversary. Take it as a special gift from me to you. " Li-lah said, sounding coy.Everyone concurred to the plan and thought it was a great idea.
Maria woke up with a smile plastered on her face. It was her wedding anniversary today and she had dreams of how beautiful it was going to be.She stretched and touched the bed only to find that Mateo was not there. The smile on her face deepened. 'he must have woken up early to prepare a surprise for me' She thought to herself.She quickly got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She put extra time into her bath that morning. She turned on the shower and got into the stall. The warm water immediately soothed her senses.The feeling was like heaven itself.She looked in the mirror.She was staring at herself.How stunning she looked.Her silky hair was resting in soft curls around her beautiful face.She quickly rinsed the soap from her body and grabbed the towel. She quickly dried her body and made her way back into the room.She ran into the room to her closet.She looked through the rack.There were all sorts of dresses to choose from.She picked a beautiful dress. It was very
Maria sat down patiently waiting for the others to come but they were taking longer than expected. She glanced at the wall clock, it was some minute past two. There was still time, she could wait. 3pm and there was still no sign of them. What could be keeping them? Maria wondered looking back at the phone in her hands at the time. 5pm. Still no sign of them. Maria began to feel uneasy. Why hadn't she heard from them? When it clocked seven o'clock and there wasn't anyone else, she then knew Julia and Natalia might have played her. She held tightly to her gown, clenching her teeth in a bid to keep her emotions in check. She was angry, disappointed, frustrated, pissed off, but most of all, she felt powerless and out of control. How dare they do this to her? And on her anniversary too. She felt like breaking something but this wasn't her house, it was Li-lah's studio. She inhaled and exhaled slowly and soothed herself. "dammit!" she exclaimed finally losing control. She wasn't going
The winds of change swept through the air as Amelia stepped onto the plane, her heart heavy with the weight of all that she was leaving behind. Mexico had been a place of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and redemption. It had shaped her in ways she could never fully explain. But it was time to move on. She leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes as memories of her family, of Mateo, and of everything they had endured together, flooded her mind. She thought of the quiet moments she had shared with Mateo—the stolen glances, the tender touches, the unspoken words that had once bridged the distance between them. Those moments would forever be etched in her heart, but they were not enough to keep her tethered to a past that no longer served her. Her family—her mother, her father—had been the driving forces behind her fight. Their memories were now the foundation of her resolve. She would honor them by living a life that was not shaped by the darkness that had consumed them but by the stren
The tension in the warehouse was unbearable, the air thick with fear and desperation. Maria stood at the center of the room, her gun trembling in her hand, her child clutched tightly in the other arm. The sound of her erratic breathing echoed in the otherwise silent space. Amelia could feel the weight of the moment, the gravity of everything that had led up to this point. She glanced at Mateo, standing to her left, his face a mix of anger and concern. They had cornered Maria—this was it. The endgame. “Maria,” Amelia called, her voice steady but urgent, “put the gun down. You don’t want to do this. You’ve already lost.” Maria’s eyes darted around the room, panic and defiance battling for control. “You have no idea what I’ve lost!” she hissed, her grip tightening on the weapon. “You’ve taken everything from me. My power, my family… my future.” Amelia took a slow, deliberate step forward, her heart pounding in her chest. She could see the desperation in Maria’s eyes. She could se
The day had arrived. Amelia stood at the podium, her heart racing as the cameras flashed in front of her. The press conference was set, and today, Maria would be exposed for the monster she truly was. Amelia had prepared for this moment for weeks—gathering evidence, making connections, and ensuring that nothing could be dismissed as a lie. This was the moment of reckoning. Amelia glanced down at the folder in front of her. Inside were the irrefutable documents that would bring Maria to justice—details of her illegal activities, her involvement in her father’s crimes, and the horrifying truth behind the murder of Amelia’s mother. Every piece of evidence was meticulously organized, every lie Maria had spun unraveling before her. As she looked out at the sea of reporters and cameras, Amelia felt the weight of what she was about to do. Maria had taken everything from her—her family, her love, her peace of mind—and now, it was time to take it all back. She took a deep breath before beg
The night was heavy with unspoken words as Amelia walked into the private ballroom. She had agreed to meet Mateo under the pretense of settling their differences, but deep down, she knew this meeting would be anything but peaceful. This was the final chapter of their story—the last time their paths would cross before the consequences of everything they’d done came crashing down. Mateo stood by the grand windows, his back to her, staring out at the city below. His shoulders were tense, his profile etched with the weight of everything he had lost. The moment Amelia stepped into the room, he turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers with a mix of pain and longing. “I didn’t think you’d come,” he said softly, though there was a trace of relief in his voice. “I couldn’t let it end like this, Mateo,” Amelia replied, her voice steady but betraying a flicker of emotion. “We have unfinished business.” He took a few steps closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “You’ve made your choice, Am
The night air was thick with tension as Amelia made her way through the narrow alley behind the café. Her mind raced with the information she had just uncovered—the confirmation of Maria’s role in her father’s death had set her heart ablaze with fury. The weight of it all was suffocating, and yet she couldn’t allow herself to falter. The battle was only beginning, and she had to be ready for whatever came next. Suddenly, a car’s engine revved, and shadows flitted across her path. Before she could react, she was seized from behind, strong hands clamping around her arms, pinning her to the cold, unforgiving wall. A rough voice growled in her ear, “You should’ve stayed out of this, Amelia.” She struggled, but the grip was too tight, and she was dragged further into the alley, where three men emerged from the darkness, each one more menacing than the last. They weren’t just after her—they were there to silence her for good. Amelia’s heart hammered in her chest, panic rising, but her
The late afternoon sun shone brightly, creating long shadows in Mateo's study. He was there, trying to understand the confusing mess of his life. Papers were scattered everywhere as he looked through old files and ledgers that were covered in dust. He felt a heavy weight in his chest because he had so many questions that remained unanswered.While he was sifting through his father’s old things, his hand accidentally touched a worn leather journal that was hidden under a pile of papers. His curiosity grew, and he decided to open it. As he flipped through the pages, he recognized his father’s handwriting on the yellowed paper. At first, the entries appeared simple and ordinary; they talked about business deals and family stories. But as he continued to read, he started to notice a more troubling story unfolding.The journal revealed a series of shady business deals, secret payments, and alliances that helped build the family company’s wealth. Mateo's stomach started to feel uneasy as he
The grand ballroom shimmered with opulence, its crystal chandeliers casting warm light on the sea of glamorous attendees. It was the charity event of the season, a perfect facade for the elite to mask their scandals and betrayals with smiles and champagne. Amelia stood near the entrance, her fiery red gown flowing like liquid passion as her sharp eyes scanned the crowd. She was a tempest in disguise, ready to unleash her storm. Her target was clear—Mateo. He was standing near the bar, looking dashing in his tailored suit, yet there was an air of defeat around him. His usual confidence was subdued, replaced by the weight of recent revelations and his growing dependency on alcohol. Amelia took a deep breath and approached him, her heels clicking against the marble floor like a ticking clock. “Mateo,” she said, her voice cutting through the hum of the crowd. He turned, startled, and then his expression hardened. “Amelia." they stood and just stared at each other for a while, none
Amelia stood in the shadows of the estate, her heart pounding as she glanced up at the imposing structure. Maria’s father’s estate loomed over her like a fortress, its high walls and security cameras serving as a stark reminder of the danger she faced. But she couldn’t turn back now. This was her last chance to uncover the truth—a truth she had spent years trying to find. Clutching the forged access card Diego had given her, Amelia slipped through the side gate. The night was eerily silent, the faint rustle of leaves and the chirping of crickets the only sounds accompanying her. She pulled her hood tighter over her head, praying that the darkness would conceal her presence. The basement was her destination, a place she had heard whispers about but had never dared to approach until now. It was rumored to be the heart of all of Maria’s father’s secrets—a vault of information, hidden atrocities, and untold truths. ---The air grew colder as Amelia descended the stone staircase lead
Mateo sat in his dimly lit study, the room thick with the scent of whiskey. The glass in his hand was half-empty, though the bottle beside him was nearly gone. He stared into the amber liquid, his mind clouded with a whirlpool of emotions: betrayal, confusion, anger, and heartbreak. Lilah—Amelia—whatever her name was—had torn his world apart. The woman he had trusted, the woman he had loved, had deceived him. He could still see her face in his mind, the tears in her eyes as she pleaded for him to listen. A part of him wanted to believe her, to believe that what they had was real. But Maria’s words echoed in his mind, feeding his doubts. "She’s a liar, Mateo. She’s only after your money. She never loved you."He tipped the glass to his lips and downed the remaining whiskey in one go, wincing as it burned its way down his throat. The pain was almost comforting—it matched the ache in his chest. ---Maria watched from the doorway, her eyes narrowing as she observed Mateo’s deteriora