Maria was still in Bernard’s room, sitting quietly on his bed, lost in thought. Her mind circled around the housing issue and the mystery of the missing docunts.
"I need to find a way to et Mr. Frederick," she thought, biting her lip. "He must have sothing to tell . Why else would he choose to stay in our apartnt instead of one of his many other houses?"
As she drifted deeper into her thoughts, she didn’t notice when Bernard left her side. She only snapped out of her daze when she turned to find the bed empty.
Just as she was about to stand up and leave the room, the bathroom door swung open—and there he was.
Bernard erged half-dressed, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Water trickled slowly down his broad, hairy chest, catching the light in a way that made Maria’s breath hitch. Her eyes, helplessly drawn to the sight, lingered too long.
She quickly averted her gaze, ntally scolding herself.
But it was too late.
Bernard had already caught her looking. The mont her tongue brushed across her lips was exactly when their eyes locked. There was no denying what that look ant.
Panicked and flustered, Maria stood and rushed toward the door, but her trembling hands fumbled at the handle. Before she could escape, Bernard’s hands gently circled her waist, pulling her backward.
She gasped softly. She could feel him—hard, pressing against her through the towel. Her body reacted instantly. She was in her ovulation period, and her arousal was heightened. Worse still, she wore a short gown that gave him too much access.
He turned her around slowly, and she realized then—he was already naked. His hard length rubbed against her body, igniting sothing wild inside her.
Bernard leaned in, kissing her neck, his lips warm and confident. She moaned softly into his mouth as his kisses traveled upward to her lips.
Without another word, he pushed her onto the bed and slid off her underwear. His mouth traced her body from her breasts to her lower abdon, making her writhe under him. She was wet, aching, and completely out of control.
When Bernard finally entered her, Maria’s mind went blank. The pleasure was overwhelming. It felt different this ti—more intense, more connected.
She didn’t know if it was her body reacting to ovulation or the unspoken agreent between them, but she enjoyed every second of it.
Afterward, Maria wasted no ti. She grabbed her things and bolted out of his room, determined not to be seen.
Back in her room, she rushed into the bathroom. As the water poured over her, it was like a slap to her senses. Her thoughts ca crashing down.
"What did I just do?" she whispered bitterly. "How could I let Bernard have sex with again—and without protection?"
She slamd her palm against the tiled wall in frustration. "I must be very cheap," she thought. "I don’t even love him. The past tis we had sex, there was always a reason. But this? This was just foolish."
Her anger flared.
"This will be the last ti Bernard sees naked—ever!" she hissed aloud, full of conviction.
She stepped out of the shower, dried herself, and went to bed, furious—mostly at herself, but also at Bernard.
---
The next morning, Maria got ready for college as usual. But when she got to the car, she was stunned to see Bernard already inside, waiting with the driver.
She slid in beside him, stiff and cold. It was hard to et his eyes. Her body tensed just from being near him.
What hurt the most was his complete lack of reaction. His face was unreadable—calm, collected, as if nothing had happened between them the night before. Aside from a polite greeting, he didn’t say a single word until they arrived at college.
Maria was livid.
"He used ," she thought. "And now he thinks he can just act like nothing happened? He’ll pay for this."
When the car stopped, Bernard quickly exited and walked off toward the classroom. Maria followed behind, slower, keeping a cheerful face for the world, despite the storm inside her.
"Maria," she reminded herself silently. "Don’t let anyone—especially your friends—know what happened. You must stay strong. Don’t let your emotions ruin your ga."
As soon as she entered the classroom and saw her friends, Maria forced a bright smile.
"Hey girls!" she greeted, pulling Cassandra and Laura into a hug before settling into her seat.
"I have a lot of gist for you both," she whispered. "But not now. I don’t want Bernard to suspect anything. Let’s stay calm for now."
Both girls looked curious but nodded in agreent.
Soon after, the lecturer walked in. After the usual greetings, he announced there would be no lecture that day. Instead, he handed out an individual assignnt on research thodology, due in two days.
Once he left, Maria signaled to Cassandra and Laura. The three of them left the classroom together.
Laura, always cautious, stopped them. "Let’s not go to the garden today. It’s too exposed. Let’s use the basketball court."
They all agreed and headed in that direction.
Before they could even settle, Cassandra burst out, "Okay, Maria—I can’t wait anymore. What’s the gist?"
Maria sat down with a sigh and gave them a deadpan look.
"Yesterday, I went to visit my parents’ apartnt—the one Bernard rents—and I found out it has been sold."
"What?!" Cassandra gasped. "How can Bernard be that heartless? You weren’t even inford?"
"No," Maria shook her head. "Bernard didn’t sell it, or so he claims. I confronted him about it, and in front of , he ran to the cave where he hides important docunts. But he couldn’t find anything."
Laura raised an eyebrow. "And you believe he wasn’t faking it?"
"I don’t think so," Maria said thoughtfully. "He looked really disturbed. He even wanted to go question his parents, but I stopped him."
"Why would you do that?" Cassandra asked.
"Because we’re not even sure who took those docunts. If he goes to his parents and they deny it, it could start another crisis. He’ll look weak and irresponsible in front of them," Maria explained.
Laura narrowed her eyes. "Are you developing feelings for Bernard?"
Maria gave her a firm look. "No. Just because I don’t want him to be embarrassed doesn’t an I care about him. I just want what belongs to —and right now, I need him to recover those docunts."
"So what’s the next step?" Cassandra asked.
"That’s where you co in," Maria replied, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.
Cassandra blinked. "What do you an?"
"We talked about making Bernard fall for you. What’s going on with that?"
At that, Cassandra suddenly started smiling—a little too much.
Maria and Laura exchanged a curious glance.
"What’s going on?" Maria asked. "Why are you smiling like that? Are you hiding sothing?"
Cassandra finally spoke. "Well... Bernard and I have been talking for about three days now. I didn’t tell you guys because I wasn’t sure if he was serious. But he even called this morning—wanted us to et outside school. I told him I’d think about it."
"What?!" Maria exclaid, stunned.
The news hit her like a slap. She felt even more used by Bernard. The rage in her chest grew hotter.
Laura frowned. "So if Maria didn’t ask, you wouldn’t have told us?"
Cassandra tried to defend herself, but Laura wasn’t buying it. The tension rose.
Maria quickly stepped in. "Enough, you two. Please. Look—I get it. Maybe Cassandra should’ve told us earlier. But Laura, she probably had her reasons. Let’s not argue about this. You two are all I’ve got. You’re my family. We can’t let this situation divide us."
Her words softened both of them. They nodded, smiled, and exchanged apologies before pulling Maria into a tight hug.
"We’re not enemies," Maria said quietly. "The real enemies are out there—trying to destroy , destroy my family. I need you both more than ever. Please help ."
Cassandra and Laura exchanged a glance and nodded again, this ti with deeper resolve...
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