Chapter Seventeen:

"My best friend is in town and I was wondering...."

"Yeah, you can go see her," Damian agreed before she could complete her sentence.

"Really?" Maya's face lit up.

"Yeah. The driver will drive you there and bring you home after you're done," Damian said.

"Yay.....thank you so much," Maya squealed in excitement and rushed to hug him.

Damian's body froze immediately Maya wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her soft body against his. Her warm body sent tingling sensations throughout his body and he couldn't stop himself from sucking in her sweet scent. Just as he was about to hug her back, she pulled back.

"Sorry, I was just excited," Maya said bowing her head in embarrassment. Damian cleared his throat and loosened his tie a little. The effect of Maya's hug had not left him completely.

"It's fine, have fun with your friend." Damian said and left. Immediately she heard the click sound of the door, Maya squealed in pure joy and high-fived the air. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and took a cold bath. Inside the shower, she sang Becky G's "Shower" on top of her lungs.

After taking her bath, she opened the closet Damian had a woman called Audrey fill with clothes. not just any clothes but expensive ones Maya was either scared or embarrassed to wear. She didn't know what the feeling was but she just felt something whenever she saw them in the closet. One set of pajamas she saw the first time her clothes were brought in cost three thousand dollars.

" Mr. Makari had them customized for you," Audrey said with a warm smile, when Maya expressed her surprise.

"Every single one?" Maya asked and Audrey nodded.

A double ding from Maya's phone snapped her back to the present. She picked her phone from the bed as saw that Maddie had sent her text.

"I'm about to leave the house so see you there," Maya texted back and went back to picking her outfit. She settled for a blue pair of jeans and spaghetti top. After slipping into her outfit she put on a pair of black slippers. Looking into the huge dressing mirror one last time, she pulled her long black hair into a messy ponytail and took her phone before going downstairs.

"Where's grandpa?" she asked one of the maids she came across.

"In his room ma'am," the maid said with her head bowed. This was something Maya had noticed in both the maids and bodyguards here. They always spoke to either her, Damian, Grandpa or even Ron with their head bowed. Even though Ron was also just a worker, he has authority over the maids and guards because he was Damian's right-hand man.

"Ok," Maya nodded and walked out to the waiting car. "Sorry if I kept you waiting," Maya said to the driver who had opened the back door for her.

"Not at all ma'am," the driver said and closed the door. He walked round the car and settled in his seat and drove out to the compound.

The heat of the sun was at it's peak but that didn't deter people from going about their daily activities. People filled both sides of the road just as cars had filled the road. Kids were running all around and screaming on top of their lungs making Maya wonder if they had parents.

"Madam we've arrived," the driver said, bringing Maya to her senses. Maya looked out the window and saw Maddie sitting on a stool outside the café. She was wearing a blue sleeveless dress to match the hot weather.

The driver opened the door and Maya stepped out of the car. She passed her hands over her jeans and tucked the lose strands of hair behind her ear.

"I'll wait for you right here," the driver said and Maya nodded. She walked over to Maddie who had her head buried in phone.

"Hey girl," Maya smiled tapping her shoulder gently.

"Maya!" Maddie squeal jumping into her arms. " Did you walk all the way here? do you live close by? I don't see any cab around." Maddie fired Maya with questions.

"Somethings never change," Maya chuckled as she pulled Maddie into the café. They chose a table close to the window and sat down. A waiter immediately came to take their order.

"Cappuccino and doughnuts," Maya told the waiter who quickly scribbled her order.

"Same for me," Maddie said when the waiter turned to her. The waiter nodded and left to fetch their order.

"Now start filling me in with all the things I've missed," Maddie said, her ears itching for some news.

" You know Alfred and I got engaged before you left town, right?" Maya said and Maddie nodded. Of course, she was present. What kind of a friend would she be if she missed her bestie's engagement ceremony.

"I found him in bed with another woman the night before our wedding."

"I knew that man was a good for nothing son of a bitch. I tried to warn you Mya but you were so blinded by his love that you refused to see the truth....."

"So are you going to rub it in my face or you want to hear the full story?"

" The full story of course," Maddie rolled her eyes. Maya proceeded to tell her friend everything and Maddie's jaw dropped after listening to the whole story.

"So you mean your own father took his side over you?" Maya nodded at Maddie's question. The waiter brought their order, placed it one the table and left without a word.

"You've been through so much and I wasn't even there to..."

"Don't say that, you've been the greatest friend I've ever wished for," Maya smiled.

"Enough of all this, tell me about this Damian you mentioned earlier." Maddie said taking a huge bite of her doughnut.

Just when Maya was about to speak, her phone rang and Damian's name appeared on the screen.

"What?!" Maya said getting up from her seat.

"I'll be there soon," Maya told him whiles waving the waiter over. She pulled a fifty dollar note dollar bill from her pocket and walked out immediately. The driver immediately opened the door and Maya together with Maddie sat inside.

"What's wrong?" Maddie asked with a worried expression.

"Grandpa was just rushed to the hospital," Maya said rubbing her forehead.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes. Damian's grandpa." Maya sighed.

The ride came back to a pin-drop as they drove to the hospital. Few minutes later, the driver pulled up into the parking lot and Maya run inside.

"Excuse me nurse, an old man was just....."

"Master Dan is on the third floor first ward," the nurse at the reception smiled sweetly at Maya.

Maya thanked her and run of.