Later that day, Maria sat alone in her room, deep in thought. Her plan was unfolding, but she still had a long way to go.
"The documents... I need to get my hands on those documents," she murmured to herself. "Whatever I do, I must make sure I don’t raise suspicion."
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, a knock came at the door.
"Who could that be?" She sat up quickly, her heart skipping a beat. When the door opened, she was stunned to see Beta Gilbert stepping inside.
She immediately jumped out of bed, her body stiff with both surprise and curiosity.
"Good evening, sir!" she greeted, trying to keep her voice steady.
Beta Gilbert was a difficult man to read. He always wore a calm, smiling expression, no matter the situation.
"Hello, Maria," he said warmly. "I hope I’m not disturbing you. I came to have a little chat—if you don’t mind."
"No, sir. It’s okay." Maria forced a small smile.
He nodded approvingly before settling into a chair.
"Since the passing of your parents, I know things haven’t been easy for you. Especially with my wife and son. How have you been coping?" His voice carried a genuine note of concern.
Maria inhaled deeply, choosing her words carefully.
"It hasn’t been easy at all, sir," she admitted. "Everything happened so fast... it’s been overwhelming. But I’m grateful to have a family like yours to support me."
Beta Gilbert watched her closely, then leaned forward.
"Tell me, Maria. How do you really feel about the fact that everything your parents worked for was given to Bernard?"
Maria’s heart pounded. She hadn’t expected him to ask something so direct. For a split second, her breath caught in her throat.
She had to stay calm.
"I won’t lie, sir," she said slowly. "At first, I felt... cheated. I didn’t understand why it had to be that way. But now, I’ve accepted it. After all, I’ll be marrying Bernard, won’t I?" She forced a small, hesitant smile.
Beta Gilbert studied her carefully before nodding.
"I appreciate your honesty. And I must commend you for handling this with such grace. You haven’t thrown insults or lashed out. That is admirable."
Maria stayed silent, her smile never faltering.
"If I had known about your father’s decision earlier, I might have tried to change his mind," Beta Gilbert continued.
"I even thought about asking Bernard to return everything to you. But in the end, we must respect your parents’ wishes. They must have had their reasons."
Maria gave a small nod, pretending to accept his words.
"I was also pleased to see you and my wife getting along today," he added, standing up. "Please, keep it up."
noveldrama "Of course, sir." Maria smiled back.
With a satisfied nod, Beta Gilbert exited the room.
The moment he was gone, Maria’s expression darkened, the smile fading from her lips.
’They believe I’m on their side now. That means... it’s time to strike.’ A slow, cunning smirk stretched across her face. The game had officially begun...