Chapter seven

David

"What's going on here?" Lilith asks as soon as he steps in the room just in time to catch me invading her daughter's personal space. Scratch that. Just to catch us almost… Well, Well I don't want to think about it. 

Maria pulls herself away from me as fast as though she's avoiding a plague.Both of us eyeing her mother. 

"Mum!" she almost shouts. 

"I.." she tries to speak up and fails. 

"Sorry Ma'am, I got lost while looking for the washroom." It's the only excuse I can come up with at the moment. It's also one that's at least believable, of course. 

I don't want to look nervous but I know I'm just about to walk out of this room with one of her personal properties. It won't take long before she realizes it's missing, if she updates it every night I assume. From how she's shooting glares at me, she wouldn't hesitate to put me in her number one suspect list. 

I would deny it anyway. Even if it means her word against mine. Unless there are hidden cameras in here. Which I wholy doubt. 

"I'm sorry, lost!" She raises her brows, making her gorgeous blue eyes appear larger.  Good lord! I'm lost in her eyes again. 

It's too early to say she has some kind of charm. I guess it's because it's the first time we're meeting. I'll just get used to her and start to see everything as normal. She's an employee after all. 

"Of all the rooms in this place, you accidentally landed in mine?" she probes again. 

"mistakenly is the word. I dont know my way here, how was I supposed to know that this was your room? " I try to be polite. 

"who knows the ways of men. So what, were you doing stalking me?" 

"Maria!" Mrs Banes finally speaks up after being quiet for a while, listening to our little "talk." 

"" That's no way to speak to a Delavega! " she adds. 

" Mum, this ancestral deals or whatever you call them, that we have with the Delavegas, doest give them the right to… "

" I'll be on my way, "I interrupt. I'm not ready to hear this. 

" Cole has been waiting for you for a while now. Weren't you supposed to head to the office? "

Yeah, right.. That's what I said when we were leaving home. The safest way to play is if she doesn't know that I know…

So I can plan my moves and make her fall into my trap without even realizing it. 

" Excuse me. "  I turn to leave, but I look back again to take one last look at the breathtaking arrogant lady." It was nice meeting you, Maria. "

...…. 

" Damn! She's literally the most gorgeous petite woman I've met." I say to Cole on our way to the office. 

" That's what you say after meeting any petite lady. Same old David." 

Cole, who's been silent the whole time finally speaks up. 

" Do I? Or do you just notice this because all girls have always fallen for me, not you?" I tease him but I'm enjoying it. 

He gives me a brief glance and re-focuses on the road. He would have shuffled my hair, leaving it a mess or patted my shoulder. 

We were used to teasing and trolling each other for years. Anyone who ever got mad was declared a loser. 

"I know you're about to say how this one's different." he adds. 

"Not, but she really is." I prove his point. 

"I saw this coming. With your womanizing skills, are you sure you'll manage work at the office?"  We both laugh at that, then he asks another one of his questions. 

"Does that mean you've forgotten about all your anger and plan to finish her off?" 

This question pulls me back to reality, right where we started from. 

She's stunningly beautiful but that doesn't change the fact that she tried to frame me on my first night here. 

" Of course not. Her beauty doesn't justify what she did. If she isn't paying by death, then I'll have something in store for her." 

I cannot be soft if I have to be in business. 

"You haven't even her side of the story, David." 

"What's there to explain? How did that gun find its way through my belongings? 

Don't forget it's a murder case. I'd surely be in prison if I wasn't who I am." I'm almost annoyed at that. 

Cole doesn't have to answer me because we're here, at the Delavegas holding. 

The 20- floor building looks diffrent than the last time I was here. Height's still the same but there have been some renovations. 

The whole building belongs to the Delavegas but some space has  been rented for other business men while other floors belong to the company. Cole walks me around for about an hour or so, just introducing me to the various places 

As the elevator halts at the twentieth floor, Cole is ready to show me the precious office that has always been waiting for me. 

As I open the door to the place that's been waiting for me, I can't help but appreciate everything in it. Everything in it is cool. 

From the door, to the table and everything on it, the couch right at the side. I reach for the window to her the view. Speaking of view, "What about Maria's office?" I curiously ask. 

"What about it?" Cole answers my question with another question knowing exactly what I meant. 

"Come on, are we really doing this, again?" 

"It's after the next two offices after this one." 

Hmmmh quite far! 

"Oh wait, does that mean she has to pass mine first before she reaches hers?" 

Cole gives me the other look again.,knowing  exactly the ideas running through my mind. 

To be fair, I'm not sure of what I feel about it. I still could be spiteful about her but again the thought of her, gorgeously passing through the hall way, makes me almost curve my lips into a smile. 

I don't know if it's possible to dread and adore someone at the same time, someone new to you. That's all I can say, for now, until I'm  able to capture her and get closure. But the thought of the diary still tucked at the back of my pants  is a little satisfying. Thank heavens it isn't large enough, just sizable that no one couod even notice it's position. 

I wink at Cole as I'm about to ask for a very huge favor and knowing him, I know he'll protest. 

"The answer is no," he answers before I even ask. 

"Come on, you don't even what I was going to say." 

"oh I know it very well. No, David. We're not going into her office. Besides, what do you want from there anyway." 

"You know, just to take a look." 

Cole belongs to a syndicate family but he's one of thos people who obey few rules. One of the atleast humble souls. 

I know that if it came to it, Maria would definitely choose him. But

It can never come to that, I'm sure. 

After few attempts of convincing him, he finally gives in. 

"Under one condition," he says. "What now?" 

"I'm going in with you.There's no way I'm letting you into that office alone" 

"What, now you're her protector?" 

"This is not about being her protector, David," he says in a serious tone, "it's about the work protocols here. And respecting…" 

"Once privacy… Blah blah, I know." 

Is it that or is Cole just being protective? 

"But seriously, what's it with this woman? Why everyone suddenly making her the main character in their story?" I finally let the question that has been lingering in my brain. 

"Maria?" I almost notice the conners of his lips curve into a smile but it's too brief. 

"She's an amazing woman. Good at everything she does. And most easily likable. She'd never hurt a fly." 

I let out a scoff,at the mention  of that. 

"I'm sorry are we talking about the same girl here?" I grin. 

She must have had everyone fooled here but the girl I just met seems so vangeful. 

So, this is why Cole seems to beleive that's she didn't do it, frame me. 

As we enter her office, I'm suspecious of everything." Don't touch anything, " orders Cole, knowingly. But he should know better than that. 

Before he says another word, I'm already in her files and books. I don't know what I'm looking for. I guess these files are full of law issues which is not my specialty. 

"David!" he shouts my name for the seventh time I think, when I reach for the drawers in the side of her chair. 

The first one is open. And oh my! 

There's a black gift case lying on top of some books. 

Is it a ring or is it just a random gift? A bracelet maybe?. There's one way to find out. To my luck,Cole is on a call just outside, must be an important one. 

So I hope it as fast as I can and Alas! 

It's not a necklace, it's not a ring , neither is it a bracelet. 

Instead it's a note stating, "You Didn't bring what I wanted the first time, got me angry. I'm willing to reconsider and give you  a second chance. We can work out on something tomorrow night. Olives hotel, VIP's spot  9pm. Guess I  don't need  to talk about punctuality."