Maya's seduction

Maya's mind conjured up an image of her sister's head drooping low, followed by a scene of Mara and Ethan in a moment of intimacy, while she herself remained hidden in a corner, tears streaming down her face. Her mind's meandering led her straight into a fit of rage.

After the butler departed, Maya impulsively grabbed a scalding hot slab of meat from the dining table and hurled it at her sister. Fortunately, Mara's lightning reflexes spared her from a fiery facial tattoo; otherwise, she'd have sported red marks for days, her skin scorched and distorted. Still, a portion of the meat grazed her arm—ouch, that stung!

Enraged, Mara retaliated by wielding a plate of piping hot rice, advancing menacingly towards Maya. Sensing imminent danger, Maya cried out, "Don't you dare lay a finger on me, Mara, or Nanny's life hangs in the balance!" But Mara's inner street fighter was unleashed, and she let the rice fly, only for Maya to topple backward, the searing grains landing squarely on her exposed thighs. The resulting shrieks echoed with frantic agony.

"Arrgh... Mara you bastard, what have you done? I'll make sure mother knows about this, and you'll be punished," Maya swore through gritted teeth.

Mara strode towards the door but halted abruptly at Maya's threat.

"You still cling to your childish habit of tattling to the elders when things don't go your way," Mara retorted, a malicious glint in her eye.

Maya groaned in pain, attempting to rise but finding herself unable to stand. "You...you...!!"

"Behave yourself if you want to stay here and marry Ethan Lewis. He's not fond of people with quick reflexes," Mara warned, her patience wearing thin.

"What have you done?" Maya cried out.

"If it weren't for my Nanny, I'd have you groveling at my feet, begging for mercy. Even your father, the LL of LA, wouldn't dare to cross me if he knew my true nature," Mara spat before storming out.

"He's also your father not only mine, you heartless bastard!!!" Maya shouted, clutching her wounded thigh in anguish.

The next morning, Mara left home to hustle with her friends as usual. But as they settled down for a drink, a fight erupted between some hoodlums trying to woo Evelyn, who had no interest in the guy and promptly cursed him, sparking the brawl.

Empty beer bottles shattered as the two groups clashed, Mara sustaining injuries but fighting fiercely alongside her gang. Just then, a wealthy man passing by in his car stopped, sensing an opportunity.

"I'll give the winning team a cash prize of $200,000," the shameless man announced, his belly preceding him.

Mara fought with renewed vigor, her priorities shifting. Previously, she'd been saving up to travel to America with her friends for a fresh start, but now her focus was on her Nanny's health.

Evelyn and Lucian, aware of their own commitments and family issues, couldn't afford to risk everything for Mara's cause, especially since she was married into a wealthy family.

The boys' team refused to back down, even as the fight showed no signs of abating. When the portly man realized he couldn't put an end to the brawl, he hastily retreated in his car, leaving the chaos behind.

The melee continued unabated, with bottles shattering and tensions escalating. One member of the boys' team brandished a pocket knife, and in the chaos, Evelyn sustained a neck injury. Lucian rushed to her aid, but as he attempted to usher her to safety, he fell victim to the dagger-wielding assailant.

"Lucian!!!" Mara cried out, looking back in horror. Lucian managed to reassure her with a gesture, but the severity of his condition was evident.

In the past, Mara had been accustomed to skirmishes where wounds would heal swiftly on her resilient skin. But now, she couldn't afford such scars, especially with her husband's inevitable questions.

Meanwhile, in a hotel lounge, PA Lee observed the brawl with concern. "I feel sorry for their fallen leader. The girl is the true champion here," he remarked.

"Those people have nothing better to do. They'd rather fight than work," Ethan scoffed, dismissing the entire spectacle.

"But these girls have guts, taking on these hefty boys," PA Lee observed.

Ethan simply nodded, silently grateful for his compliant wife. Back at the scene of the battle, Mara glared at the boys with a mixture of contempt and fury.

"You bastards! I'll tear you apart!" she shouted, hurling a broken bottle in their direction. But her aim was intercepted by the boy with the knife, who slashed Mara across the face, leaving a scar.

"Oh... The heroine is wounded," PA Lee remarked with concern, while Ethan remained focused on his documents.

As Mara glanced back, she saw Evelyn, though injured, managing to support Lucian away from the fray. Mara herself fled the scene, pursued by the boys, who bore their own scars of the encounter.

Mara eventually caught up with her fallen comrades, her face streaked with blood and agony etched on her features. As they reached the main road, Evelyn attended to Lucian's wounds at a nearby water tap, urging Mara to do the same.

"I'm not coming. They might return. Take care of Lucian first," Mara insisted, standing guard as her friends tended to their injuries. Fortunately, Lucian's injuries, while serious, hadn't affected any vital organs, allowing him to limp away with their support.

As they approached the road, preparing to cross to the other side, a black sports car came hurtling towards them, spraying muddy water in their direction and the water slapped against Mara's clothes. 

In a surge of fury, Mara chased after the car, positioning herself in front of it to block its path. Still seething from the earlier altercation, she refused to let it pass without consequence.

The driver appeared poised to step out, but a gesture from the owner restrained him. And from the back seat a tall handsome dude came out wearing a pair of sunglasses and a white spotless suit came down majestically.

Mara flinched.