FLAVIAN

"I still have time. Marriage is not something to make rash decisions about." I recite my regular response.

"Thirty is calling. Time waits for no man, you know."

"Then I'll have to bribe it to wait for me." I focus on my food, not willing to engage further. I'm aware of the kind of glare coming my way. My mother and I have different opinions about this. She wants normalcy for me. How can I have a normal life when I'm always at war with Unai Merino? I have dangerous unfinished business to take care of.

"I'm serious, Flavian. You need someone to take care of you. Someone who's not your mother. I can help you find a housewife," she offers.

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Your loss," she shrugs, like I'm missing out on a great opportunity.

Settling down is the last thing on my mind, but now that we're talking about certain topics... "Stop sending servants to my villa. I can take care of myself, thank you very much."

She sighs before giving me the usual I'm tired of your stubbornness look, but she never gives up.

"I have a personal housekeeper," I lie. Her look tells me she doesn't buy it in the slightest.

"Really? I'm having a hard time believing you."

"She's not a live-in, but I'm going to rectify that," I add to the lie.

This time, I'm not sure whether she buys it, but if she does, she'd definitely want to meet her. I'm not wrong. Knowing her, she'll keep on sending the maids until she's sure about my story.

"If you meet her, will you stop pestering me with maids every time?" I ask. Though I know it's not just about my well-being, she uses them to spy on me too. I don't want her on my neck all the time. And I don't want to stress her, either. She's been through enough, which is why I try to be soft with her, even if it contrasts with my demeanor.

"You moron!" A screeching voice suddenly attracts everyone's attention before my mother can answer my question.

The next thing I know, we're watching drama unfold between two ladies, where one accuses the other of wrecking her home. My eyes remained glued to the one whose clothes are now loaded with soup.

At first, it's her resilience that catches my attention. The way she defends herself, blocking the slap coming her way, like she and the impeccably dressed woman are on the same level. I'm tempted to order some popcorn just to see more of what the fierce waitress is capable of, despite being at a slight disadvantage.

However, now that she has my attention, my eyes trace her beauty. I mean, it's not every day you take note of a waitress's beauty, but there's something about this particular one.

Suddenly, I'm not paying attention to whatever is going on. Her features intrigue me. Her black hair is neatly tied into a bun, revealing her captivating face. Her skin looks charming, and it's not just because it survived a burning fiasco. She's furious, but that doesn't change her gorgeousness. My mind must have taken a turn for insanity if eyeing a waitress like this in the middle of a fight is any indication.

"Women." My mother's voice snaps me from my haze. I shake my head as an excuse to get back to my normal self.

"See why it's hard to find a good wife these days?" I smile at her. That is the perfect excuse.

____________________

I have a meeting with Derrick in a private booth at Luvian. The games continue. Slacking is akin to putting your life at a higher risk. The strategies never cease.

On my way, I spot a familiar blackhead at the counter. My lips curve into a smile. Of course, I can't forget that face. The gorgeous waitress from earlier. My lucky day-or night. I never thought I'd see her again.

I assume she got fired after the incident?

Can she afford this place? How much do waitresses get paid?

This is a very big coincidence, and I like it. I'm not going to let it pass. Derrick is probably waiting for me, but that's what he'll have to do for now.

I approach the counter, where she is chatting with some other lady. The bartender notices me and I immediately know she's about to call me out, but I speak up quickly, beating her to it. I end up saying the most ridiculous, "Get me five shots of tequila."

My order attracts her attention. When she turns to look at me, I finally get a closer look at her. She's even prettier at a closer angle. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. Her charming skin makes me want to cup her cheeks and kiss those lips that look so delicious.

Unlike earlier, now she has her hair tied into a ponytail.

If someone asked me which style of her hair I prefer, I'd say I want a collaboration. Both make her look gorgeous. I'm quick to call her out for wanting to swallow me alive.

Hypocrite.

I have been doing the same. I don't just want to swallow her. I want to devour her, kiss the breath out of her. Run my tongue all over that charming skin. My dick twitches at each dirty thought.

However, when I tease her about earlier, she isn't in the slightest bit impressed. She's fierce. One more thing that draws me to her. She's not tense even when she should be.

The annoyance in her eyes makes me want to tease her even more. I think it's the reason why I don't react much when she pours the tequila shots on my shirt. She's a daring devil, and she's not sorry. I would love to stay here the whole night to test her limits, but she takes her friend and they walk away. I should be punishing her, but I'm not. Yet another strange thing for me.

My eyes are glued to her backside as she looks like she sashays away. Gosh, are those real? My palm print would look gorgeous on that. She disappears, and I'm left with the shocked bartender. That's understandable.

I don't know if I'll ever see her again.

EMERALD

Mother organizes a bouquet, while father takes care of the bill.

"Your wife must be a very lucky woman," she tells Jake, who responds with another mischievous smile, which I'm tempted to slap off his face.

"What about you? Is there anyone?" She asks Spencer.

"No. Just a divorce victim," he answers.

Divorce Victim?

Really now?

Mother is quick to wear a sympathetic look, which infuriates me even more. I want to tell her not to waste her solace, but that would cause havoc. It would bring up the issue I'm trying so hard to keep my parents out of.

"Don't feel bad for me." He swats his hand in dismissal. "It was a contract marriage, and she breached the terms of the contract. I could not be with someone untrustworthy."

"Oh," mother looks confused for a while. On the other hand, I know better than that. The fake story was meant for me.

If you dare think of backing out of our agreement, you know the consequences. I conclude to myself.

"But if your friend found happiness, you will too, as long as you don't dwell on the past," mother comforts.

Oh, God. She's going to give them that slogan...

"Past is past, today is a gift, and the future is bright."

There it is.

"You're a very wise woman," Jake compliments.

"That's why I married her," father, who had been busy all this while, chips in.

"And you made a very beautiful daughter."

Oh, crap. I want to throw up.

When they leave, I craft an excuse to step out for a few minutes and follow the men.

Of course, they were expecting that move. They must have been crawling because I catch up with them quickly.

"There she is," Spencer says as soon as I'm on the same level and they stop.

"What do you think you're doing?" I cross my arms. "I agreed to the deal. I'm the one who's to get your money. Why are you trying to involve my parents?"

They burst out laughing, which honestly, I find annoying.

Do they find everything hilarious?

"Yes, we had a deal. But we need to take precautions. I'm very paranoid about trust. My ex-wife did a number on me," says Spencer.

Oh, that story they gave my parents? I'm sure it's fake. There's no wife. It was just a form of threat.

Jake chips in. "You can call it motivation. At least you have one week before delivery of the first installment. I can see the florist is doing well..."

"Don't involve them in this." I point a finger like they would listen to me.

His expression darkens. "Good. I'm sure by now you're aware of what we're capable of...and, just a reminder, if you involve the authorities, this will be a Big Boss case."

"Like we said, he's not as soft as we are," Spencer supplements.

"So you guys are soft?" I ask with knitted brows.

You just threatened my whole family.

"Of course." Spencer moves closer and rolls a few strands of my hair around his finger, which absolutely makes me feel uncomfortable. I swat his hand away, but he returns with the same move. "You're beautiful. I could make you my wife just to close this whole thing. That would make everything easier, don't you think?"

"Over my dead body," I hiss.

"Are you sure about that?" Spencer asks. "You do realize that being my wife would clear you of everything."

I don't even give any thought to it. That's an easy way out, but also a ticket to a miserable life.

"I play fair," I say.

Jake hands me the bouquet. "Think about it, Emerald. The offer has an expiry, which is soon."

Before they walk away, Spencer adds. "In case you don't consider my proposal, we'll text you the details of the location and time of the delivery in cash. It's next Friday. And don't worry, we have your contact."

Of course, they do. There seems to be no limit to what they are capable of.

I exhale loudly as I watch them disappear.

I have a week to find a job. Even if I got the job, I wouldn't get paid immediately. The other option isn't something to consider. Or maybe I should try to find the drugs or the money. Theo must have hidden them somewhere. Yet, I can't think of any constructive place.

I must be looking like a mad woman on the road, with a bouquet. I can't go back to the shop with them. It would raise so many questions from mum and dad. What do I do with them?

I find a random woman walking.

"Hey, you're so beautiful. You deserve this." I hand it to her with a smile.

_________________

I spend the weekend looking for other options as well as finding Jobs online. Alicia is of great help. She asked for an opportunity for me at the jewelry store she works at, but there wasn't any good news.

I haven't told her about the kind of mess I'm in. I don't want to have her worry. That, and the fact that my family is already in danger. I don't want to put my best friend in a difficult position. The less people involved, the better. Alicia would probably resort to more dangerous measures. I can't have that.

On Monday morning, I wake up to a disheartening email from the housekeeping agency, stating they can't accept my application at the moment. I don't even proceed to read the rest of it. The first few words bore the magnitude of it all.

It's just the beginning of the week, for goodness' sake.

How many days until Friday? Since the Galaxy is a renowned Hotel, I thought Cecilia's recommendation would come in handy. But here we are.

EMERALD

I'm so screwed. I really am.

However, giving up is not an option. Even though other applications haven't been successful, part of me was holding some tiny bit of hope with this housekeeping agency.

Telling my parents is not an option either.

There's still time. I can work on something. At least that's what I tell myself. Maybe so I don't crash.

I wait till my parents leave for the florist to search Theo's room, looking for clues. If he still had the drugs, I would return or sell them. It's illegal, but do I have a choice? If he had the money, even better. I would pay the debt and get this nightmare over with.

Now, if you were my stubborn, loving-and now secretive-brother, where would you hide things like that?

Our apartment is not sophisticated. It's just one we can afford. So, there are no complicated safety places, like the ones opened by codes or biometrics. I search the normal places; drawers, closet, bathroom, a space in the ceiling, under the bed, name them.

However, when I flip the mattress over, something captures my eyes. A book, actually a black diary.

WHAT? Since when...

I don't have time to dwell on that.

Respect privacy. I picture mother arguing with me about that.

But that's all it is, an imagination. If I don't breach his privacy, probably, there would be no family left. We will argue about it when he wakes up.

I hope he does.

"He will wake up," I mumble to myself, when I feel the fear creeping in.

I decide to check carefully, page by page, for the millionth time, holding my tiny bit of hope.

However, unlike other empty pages, one of the pages in the middle of it has a small paragraph.

It's Theo's handwriting. Well, at least I'm now fully certain the book belongs to him.

[ Diaries are for girls ]

I smile at the first statement. Typical Theo.

[I'll try it my way so it doesn't sound girlish. The only reason I'm keeping it is because I need a constant reminder of my goal. If my sister finds this, I'm screwed. One, because she'll probably laugh at me for the whole year...]

A soft laugh escapes my lips. Damn right, little brother...

[... Two, because that would mean she's found out about my big secret]

I squint my eyes, as though I'm not already aware. I proceed, with the hope of finding something deeper.

[Dear Theo, always remember, you're doing this for your family. A lot of sacrifices have been made.]

And then...there's nothing else. I flip the rest of the pages, but they're all empty.

What!

That's all?

It's only when a huge wave of disappointment kicks in, that I realize the amount of hope I was holding wasn't just tiny. I'd hoped to find answers. Maybe something to lighten the situation, but it turns out it was just a dead end.

I weigh more options the entire morning. The search in Theo's room wasn't of help. Which means I need to think deeper. There's an option of searching the entire apartment too.

I'm in the living room deep in thought, when a certain idea hits me. I narrow my eyes, contemplating whether to go through that path or not. I'm not sure it's going to work, but it's worth the shot. Besides, I'm so desperate right now, which means I can't be picky.

_____________________

Not much has changed at The Galaxy Hotel. I'm about to get in when a guard at the entrance stops me. He's a new one. Well, something has changed.

"Ma'am, you're not allowed here," he says, sternly, sure of his words.

"What?" My pupils widen. Is it because I was fired? But, can't I come back as a regular patron? It doesn't make sense. Did the rules change, or do I totally look like someone who can't afford this place?

"Why?" I ask him.

"I don't want to lose my job, ma'am." His words awaken another series of confusion in me.

"How's your job related to me walking in?" I pry, with narrowed eyes.

He digs into his pockets for a picture.

It's a picture of me. The one that was taken for my profile when I was employed.

I'm still confused when I glance back at the man.

"The boss gave clear instructions. You're not allowed here, and anyone found associating with this woman on the hotel premises will be fired."

This is outrageous.

Why would they...

Lindsey's text comes rushing into my head, interrupting the series of questions. So, this is it? She really meant it?

However, I don't want to give up this easily.

"Which boss are you talking about? Cecilia?" I pry.

"No. The Boss," he answers, returning the picture to his pocket.

"Cecilia specifically called me. I have a meeting with her," I lie. The man shoots me a skeptical look.

Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought.

"You can call her and confirm," I coax, holding my breath, hoping Cecilia will be merciful enough.

There's a long process to reach Cecilia. She comes to the entrance about ten minutes later.

I let out a heavy breath. At least, that's one step. Although, I didn't know the first step would be this hard. The next step however, I'm not sure. It's still worth the risk.

"Emerald," Cecilia grabs my arm and leads me as far away from the restaurant until we're at a nearby street.

"I'm risking my job talking to you. You're not supposed to be anywhere close to the hotel premises," she states the obvious.

I should be famous by now, shouldn't I?

"What kind of rule is that?"

"You've been painted as a thief who's a danger to the hotel," she explains.