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 meet 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 me," 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 game." 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 agreement.
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 assignment on research methodology, 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?"
noveldrama Maria sat down with a sigh and gave them a deadpan look.
"Yesterday, I went to visit my parents’ apartment—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 informed?"
"No," Maria shook her head. "Bernard didn’t sell it, or so he claims. I confronted him about it, and in front of me, he ran to the cave where he hides important documents. 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 documents. 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 mean I care about him. I just want what belongs to me—and right now, I need him to recover those documents."
"So what’s the next step?" Cassandra asked.
"That’s where you come in," Maria replied, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.
Cassandra blinked. "What do you mean?"
"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 something?"
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 me this morning—wanted us to meet outside school. I told him I’d think about it."
"What?!" Maria exclaimed, 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 me, destroy my family. I need you both more than ever. Please help me."
Cassandra and Laura exchanged a glance and nodded again, this time with deeper resolve...