Page 45

I stood up.

Victor was clearly pissed off, my mom was stunned and what was supposed to be a perfect dinner turned into a disaster.

I carefully picked up Maya's chair, which was still lying on the ground.

"I'll go talk to her," I said plainly.

No one dared protest or say a word as I made my way to her room, not that I cared if they did.

I paused for a moment to take a breath, my hand resting on the doorknob. I know she's going to be hard to deal with now, but I'm not backing down.

I walked through the door, and Maya was pacing back and forth like she was seconds away from exploding.

"Hey..." I started calmly.

She didn't meet my gaze as she kept pacing, her hands nervously running through her hair.

"Maya..." I said, stepping closer. "Try to take a deep breath..."

She stopped for a second—just to throw her hands up in frustration. "How am I supposed to calm down, Grace?!"

"Breath," I said again, grabbing her arms.

She protested, muttering something under her breath, but I tried to hold her still. I squeezed her wrists gently, but she kept trying to move away, her jaw clenching tightly.

"I can't—I can't breathe, okay?" she snapped, voice shaky.

I held her a little tighter, not letting her pull away this time. "Hey, listen to me," I said, my voice softer but firm. "You're not alone in this. I'm here with you."

She took a deep breath. Her body was still tense, but at least she wasn't fighting me anymore. For a second, everything seemed to slow down, even her breathing.

"My father doesn't understand me. He never will," she muttered, her voice low and raw. "And now this, Grace—a new hotel with Nick's father? He sold us out. I'm so fucking frustrated."

"You have every reason to be frustrated," I said softly, meeting her dark eyes. "But you'll get through it—we'll get through it. Together," I assured her.

Maya's expression faltered for a second, her eyes softened. She looked away, blinking hard, pushing it all back.

"I won't allow my father to ruin us," she said firmly. She straightened her shoulders. "Not him, and definitely not fucking Nick Crawford."

"I had no doubt," I replied calmly.

"I'm dead serious," Maya said, suddenly pulling me away—not to run, but to shield me from whatever storm was inside her. "Nick is still hovering around you, Grace," she muttered under her breath, fists clenched. "But I won't let him get away with it much longer."

"I don't care about him," I said firmly. "I only care about you, Maya."

"And I care about you, Grace," she said firmly. "That's why I won't let him touch what's mine—especially not you."

She sat on her bed, her hands rubbing her temples now. I knelt in front of her, she squeezed my hands, but her gaze was fixed somewhere else.

"Does your father know about Nick, Lily, and the accident?" I asked carefully.

"Of course, and he believes Lily—I know he does," Maya replied immediately. "But he's so damn stuck in his own world, he clearly didn't see how much impact it had on everyone." She nervously ran a hand through her hair again.

I knew I had to ask her now—I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I reached and squeezed her hand. "Tell me what you did to Nick, Maya," I said calmly.

She instantly averted her eyes, her body locking in place, a sharp tension surged through her.

"Lily said you had to tell me yourself, and now your father hinted that you've already done something to Nick," I said cautiously. "I just want you to tell me, if you're ready." I added softly.

Maya still wouldn't respond. It feels like her silence was more than just hesitation.

"I'm not here to judge you, Maya. I'm here to understand you. Trust me," I said sincerely.

Finally, she met my eyes, her expression more conflicted than I'd ever seen it. "Please don't change the way you see me, Grace..."

"No, I won't," I reassured her, squeezing her hand. "I promise."

This is it—the moment she'd been scared to face—how I'd take it.

Maya exhaled deeply before finally began to speak. Her face was serious, resolute, with a hint of nervousness behind her eyes.

"Lily was still in the hospital from the accident Nick caused, and I was furious at him for what he did to her."

She looked straight into my eyes, and I nodded, encouraging her to open up.

"I did something," she said, her jaw clenched, her eyes steady. "I went to Nick's house in the middle of the night with my friend James—we climbed over the fence," Maya tilted her head. "We broke into his garage," she paused.

"Continue..." I said, spurring her.

My heart was pounding.

"I had a bat, and I started smashing every expensive car and motorcycle they owned. Everything Nick and his father cared about—all of it broken."

I blinked a few times, trying to stop myself from gasping at what she had just said.

What she was capable of doing when she lost control.

But I didn't let go of her hands—instead, I squeezed them tighter.

"I got caught on the security cameras, and things got really complicated for me, Grace..."

"What happened?" I immediately asked, feeling my heart race with worry.

"I could've ended up facing a huge lawsuit—or something even worse that could ruin me and my name." Maya let out a dry, nervous laugh, shaking her head.

I didn't want to imagine what worse meant, but it sounded like serious trouble.

"All I know is that my father begged Nick's father to spare me, and in the end, I have no idea how much money or how many things he ended up giving them to cover what I did." She didn't even try to hide how much she hated it.

So she wasn't involved in it—yet again.

I swallowed hard and let out the biggest sigh of my life, trying to process every piece of the story she just told me.

"Grace..." Maya tightened her grip on my hands, concern rising in her voice at my silence.

"Your father protected you, Maya..." I whispered, trying to find something positive in all of it.

"Yes, but after that, we didn't speak for months. Something is obviously broken," she said, frustrated.

So, this was why things were bad between her and her father—what Maya did to Nick.

I stood up, trying to shake off my worries. I needed to breathe after everything that had happened. It was too much.

"Grace..." Maya murmured, her eyes searching mine, desperate for something. "Did you change your mind about me?"

Somehow, she was more worried about my reaction than about what she had done.

"No, darling," I shook my head firmly. "I'll never do that."

Maya smiled—a soft, tentative smile, as if she wasn't sure if she was allowed to feel hopeful yet.

"I know it wasn't easy, but you did that because you were really angry and hurt," I said, meaning every word.

"Yes, Grace, you really understand me," she said, exhaling slowly. "Thank you," her voice softer now, as if my words mattered more than anything.

Then she offered me her hand, hopeful that I would take it.

When I did, she pulled me into her arms, wrapping me tightly. I sighed deeply, the sound of my breath blending with the steady beat of her heart.

"I was so angry, Grace—I didn't care about the consequences," she murmured, pulling me closer.

"It's okay to feel that way," I said, understanding. "What matters is that you don't let it control you, Maya."

"I won't," she said, her voice steady but soft. "Having you here—it's the only thing that keeps me from falling apart, Grace."

I smiled, burying my face in her neck, feeling warmth spread through my chest as Maya held me tightly.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?" she asked me.

"Jeez, so many things happened today, I'm... tired," I whispered.

"Then lay with me," Maya murmured, her hand resting gently on the bed.

I looked up, softly kissing the curve of her neck, my lips lingering before sliding up to meet hers—warm and inviting.

Maya was already parting her lips, her tongue teasing out, before I paused her with a soft touch.

"I will... but you need to eat first," I said, pulling away.

Maya started to protest again, but I wasn't backing down. I shot her a look, this time firmer.

"I'm going to the kitchen to grab something to bring here," I said.

She hummed in annoyance as she shifted on the bed—restless, but somehow calmer.

I left her room and went to the kitchen with my thoughts still spinning. I grabbed two plates and filled them with what was left of the food, which was almost everything.

Suddenly, as I was holding the plates, Victor approached me.

"How is she?" he asked seriously, his eyes showing genuine nervousness and concern.

"She is... overwhelmed," I replied, not knowing what else to say.

I could say a million things, but none would really capture the storm raging inside Maya.

Victor sighed. "Okay, then stay close to her."

I hesitated, then dared to speak up. "You should stay close to her, too."

He nodded bitterly. "I tried. But she won't let me. I'm not her mother."

That hit me harder than I expected. I was speechless, and for a moment, I saw past his tough exterior—maybe he's hurting too, just in his own silent way.

"Maya still needs your support," I said gently. "She feels betrayed right now."

"Grace," Victor sighed in distress. Then he met my gaze and said, quietly, almost like it hurt—

"Not all choices are ours to make."

I blinked, unsure if he was talking to me... or himself. His words echoed in the back of my mind with something I couldn't quite catch.

I stood there, staring at him, but he was already walking up the stairs.

That feeling stayed with me—like this wasn't just about what was said, but what was left unsaid.

Something was definitely off.

A/N

Thanks for sticking with me! AND... can you guess what's really behind this deal? ??