The billionaire's only desire-Chapter 36: Partnership deal off and a punishment

Maya hovered over the handyman as he fixed the broken wooden staircase.

"Ma’am," he said, his face creased with a frown, "there are screwdriver marks around the nail holes."

Maya knits her brows, grimacing. "A screwdriver?"

"Yes, the wood isn’t worn out. From my observation, a screwdriver was used to loosen the nails," the handyman explained. "Ma’am, I suggest you report this to the police. Someone did this to harm you," he ominously advised.

Maya fell silent, lost in thought as her mind drifted to Soraya. Soraya had been acting strangely last night, and Maya had no doubt that Soraya was the culprit. Soraya had been quite deadly serious when she said she would eliminate any girl who posed a threat to her ambition of becoming the future Mrs Black.

Maya waited for the handyman to securely drill the nails back into the staircase. She paid him when he finished. As soon as he left, Maya leapt out of the basement, despite her injured ankle, to confront Soraya. She completely forgot that Oliver had advised her to stay in bed and avoid any movements that could hinder her ankle’s healing. Well, she disregarded that advice.

Maya arrived just in time as Soraya was just arriving home with Valentina trailing behind, carrying shopping bags.

"They’re so heavy! It’s unfair that you made me carry all this by myself," Valentina groaned at Soraya.

Soraya rubbed her temple. "Oh, shut up. Your banshee voice is annoying me. If it weren’t for my status, do you think you would get to shop at that expensive, exclusive boutique?"

Valentina zipped her mouth shut, not daring to nag any further. She handed the shopping bags to a maid and dashed off in irritation.

Maya was amused. For a spoiled brat, Valentina is, it is shocking she allows Soraya to treat her like a lapdog.

As Soraya was walking away, Maya stepped into her path. Soraya glared at her and said, "Get out of my way, you bastard."

Maya didn’t budge. "What were you doing in the basement last night, Soraya?"

Soraya laughed in disbelief. "Are you stupid or something? Why would I go into that rat-infested basement?"

Maya didn’t know what was more infuriating: the fact that Soraya called her stupid or that she referred to the basement she lived in as rat-infested.

"One of the wooden stairs was sabotaged, and I fell. The nails were deliberately loosened with a screwdriver. I believe you did it, Soraya."

Soraya sneered in response. "You have no proof."

Maya raised her eyebrows. "So you are admitting you did it?"

"Don’t put words in my mouth, " Soraya said through gritted teeth.

"So, you finally decided to choose one of us after years of stalking the four of us", Aiden snarled at Soraya, making an appearance, intensifying the tension in the room. He sized her up. "At least you’re smart enough to realize that your seductive tricks won’t work on Dalton; that’s why you’re opting for a forced proximity—a business partnership. But that won’t work either."

Soraya stiffened but quickly composed herself, adopting her usual classy demeanour. "I am simply being a good friend by offering Dalton a lucrative partnership deal that will benefit both of us. I have decided to venture into the corporate business world, and I see this as a stepping stone."

Aiden taps his mouth as he yawns. "Blah, blah, blah. Spare me that. If you’re venturing into the business world, good for you. Maybe you should focus on that instead of trying to catch a billionaire husband."

Soraya’s graceful demeanour fades as she glares at Aiden with intensity.

Aiden smirked. "That partnership deal you have with Dalton will be terminated today."

Soraya panicked. "What? What do you mean?"

Aiden ignored her, pulled out his phone, and pressed the call button. "Hello, Dalton," he said, putting the call on loudspeaker.

.Aiden stared at Maya as he spoke to Dalton, through the Phone "I overheard Maya say that Soraya loosened the nails of the wooden staircase, which caused her fall yesterday."

Soraya’s eyes widened. "D-Dalton, it’s not true; she is lying."

"Maya, is that true?" Dalton asked angrily, making Maya wince and hesitate to respond to him.

Soraya shakes her head at Maya. "I didn’t do it; tell him I didn’t do it. You have no proof." She begins to sob loudly.

Maya flinches and closes her eyes. "Yes, I believe Soraya was the one who loosened the nails," she boldly claims.

Soraya’s voice became hysterical. "She is lying, Dalton! I could never do that! Please, believe me, Dalton."

"Our partnership deal is off, Soraya, and you will be punished for hurting Maya," Dalton’s voice roared through the phone.

"No! Please, Dalton!" Soraya screamed in horror.

"Maya, do you want to press charges against her?" Dalton asked, his tone blurring through the Phone has gotten calmer.

Maya stared at Soraya, her eyes red from shedding tears, but that didn’t stir even an ounce of pity in Maya.

She could have hit her head from the fall yesterday. A second traumatic brain injury could be fatal for her, leading to her death. Soraya needs to pay for this.

On the other hand, Aunt Lily would be heartbroken if her daughter were to be jailed.

" I won’t press charges," Maya decided.

Aiden grunted, "What the hell, Maya? Don’t be a saint; you could have died from that fall."

"Why?" Dalton asked, clearly displeased with her response.

Maya sighed. "I’m not pressing charges for her mother’s sake."

Soraya looked at Maya with a tear-streaked face, the expression in her eyes was not gratitude, of course, but hatred.

Maya chuckled; Soraya was reacting just as she had expected.

"Has she tried to hurt you before today?" Dalton asked from the other end of the line, his anger escalating with each word.

"No," Maya lied. She couldn’t tell him about the rumours Soraya had instigated at the restaurant; it was a petty girl drama. Besides, she was just bluffing when she threatened Soraya that she would tell him.

"Since you will not be pressing charges, I will punish Soraya myself," Dalton declared through the phone.

"No!" Soraya screamed, terrified.

Maya was also scared for Soraya, wondering what Dalton would do to her.

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