~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ “Sabrina, you can’t question or demand an answer to those questions. It’s just a business arrangement; you waived the right to demand answers like that. So, stop this line of questioning or I’ll start asking questions and I’ll expect answers. Answers I’m sure you won’t want to give me. So, do yourself a favor and drop it. I must go now for work. Take your mother and go home. You aren’t needed here.” I informed her she’s not wanted there either. She knows her time is limited and I don’t want her. But Sabrina’s pushing everything in all directions. “Why can’t I? I’m supposed to be your fiancée. Recognize my presence to acquire the company.” “We haven’t made our engagement official so what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. Since you’ve shown no interest in working for this company it seems odd that you would show up here now. Go home. I’m sure you have some packing to do as you’ve weeks before you must move out. Come to thin
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ “You’re sure you can handle the meeting? You won’t need me there?” Josy prepared to leave for the board meeting. I can’t attend because of overwhelming tasks ahead. David insisted on staying with me to assist me. He’d offered manpower and suggestions left, right, and center? I didn’t expect his eager participation, let alone how he teased me. Tease me. The man was sadistic most days when he teased. Not that I’m complaining. His sadistic teasing made my time enjoyable, but left me exhausted and satisfied. David’s teasing took on a different tone. I hadn’t recognized it as teasing at first. His teasing was because of his curiosity about my thoughts and actions. It boiled down to his fascination with his discovery that I had thoughts in my head he could relate to and brains enough to understand him on his level. David treated me as if I was the first woman he’d encountered with such intelligence. At this momen
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ “David.” I ensured Maria knew I understood her life. It’s difficult for me to accept her lies about her life. Maria had omitted important and huge parts of her life, along with her identity. Her health, safety, education, and identity. Maria kept it all from me and now I’ve learned about it from third parties. Someone could have murdered her. I’d never have known why. It would never have crossed my mind to set her up with her own security beyond that at the condo building and her driver. Maria should have stayed in the condo with a security team. She’s mine and I look after what’s mine. How can I proceed without knowledge of the surrounding dangers? Maria lacks understanding of this importance. Her identity changes everything. If someone killed her under my watch, how would that appear to everyone? She would abandon me to face her loss and the world’s condemnation alone. Yet she sits here acting like she’s
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ I don’t know how we ended up in this conversation. But I’ve never felt so brittle and fragile in my life. Alone, dark, behind hospital, night. No one wanted me. Then David did, but on his terms. My value came from his whims, his wishes, and his desires. Sure, I used his contracts and the benefits he gave to survive and hide. His absence gave me space to reflect, heal, and focus on self-improvement. But I still had problems with my self-esteem. It didn’t help that David would reinforce those issues without knowing what he did. I never expressed my feelings or explained my presence. It’s all to protect myself. I wouldn’t risk my safety now that I’d found it. I’d serve a man, even if I had to be submissive. It didn’t help that I ended up falling for the jerk. I admit it. David may not have shared his emotions with me. But I saw and responded to his needs. I felt how he’d struggled with his situation. My condo provided David
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ I dislike this, but I needed to confront Maria and inform her of my actions. However, here’s what surprised me. I’d thought of telling her about what I was doing. However, this is where everything went wrong. Maria’s shown me more now than she’s ever shown me before. Maria believes I don’t see her as a person. She just said I abuse her, but not just that, I maintain a double standard. That’s what she said. I abuse her and treat her as an object, while I disabuse others of doing that. It’s mindboggling for me, but as I think about it, I can’t deny it. Fuck. Maria listened to me and went silent. But I could tell that she wasn’t happy, and I couldn’t blame her. I screwed up again. How did I miss my mistakes when I made them? I don’t understand. “Maria don’t get upset over this. Let’s agree that we’ve made mistakes which we both regret. It’s something we can correct in time. My people are gathering evidence and
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ David’s determined about this. He desires it, but I need certainty regarding his determination, as it may stem from alternate motivations. I don’t want him changing his tune once he has what he wants. It pains me as I don’t desire correctness. I don’t believe I could survive through the betrayal and loss. It’s killing me seeing him with Sabrina, even though I know he’s not interested in her. This is such a mess. Sabrina and Jacqueline aren’t making it easier. Do I risk everything? He’s done so much. How do I protect my sanity and my heart? “David, if you’re so set on this. Prove it to me. Give me something that will guarantee I won’t be hurt, humiliated, or screwed over in the end. I don’t like being unable to trust you, but you’ve proven to me I can’t trust you.” I saw David straighten and his eyes widen as he watched me. “You say you care and might love me. But words are just words. I want concrete proof of this. Your a
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ I don’t understand what happened. I feel as though I’ve lost control, but somehow, I’ve gained something. It’s not something I can define right now. Coming out of this conversation with Maria, I’ll admit I’ve never had such a heart wrenching feeling of loss losing nothing. I experienced an emotional rollercoaster, a feeling I’ve never had. I said things I’ve never said to anyone. Now I’m worried about leaving Maria alone. She seemed on the verge of self-harm, which I cannot allow. No way. She wants to choose to stay with me. If I released her from her contracts, would she choose to stay? I don’t know. Can I trust her? She’s lied about many things to me. Last of all, who she is. Do I know her enough to trust her? I did my job and pushed through getting things done. Which meant I had to leave her there and head for meetings. It’s not what I wanted. But I must. My father wanted to see me. He may know his time as family head
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ The evidence said I had several people betraying the company across almost every department. It’s not one person here and one there. No, I suspected I could create a corporate ladder for these people. But how far did this go up? Few would do this. Only one or two in the affected departments, please. But someone controlled it all. Someone who could enter every department with no one questioning their presence. I still didn’t have any names or numbers. But it’s a matter of time. I had to think it through. David and Jake left a while ago. They had responsibilities. Which meant I could breathe and think. I hadn’t told Josy about David and me because I was unsure of my feelings. I felt heard by David for the first time since I met him. Could it be progress? He said he’s willing to prove to me he’s serious. Or that I won’t find him changing his opinions and actions toward me. I don’t want him aband