The billionaire's only desire-Chapter 38: The calm before the storm

"I will miss you, little sis," Valentina was the last person to say goodbye as Maya stood at the front door with her backpack slung over one shoulder. She took a moment to soak in the familiar sights of the mansion. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on the front yard where Valentina stood.

"No more classy dishes for me. My Instagram page is going to look so boring," Valentina dramatically hollered.

"I’m living with Natalia; you can come over anytime you want."

"Natalia? The red-haired stripper?" Valentina asked.

"Yes," Maya confirmed.

Valentina wrinkled her nose. "Ew, doesn’t she live in a shitty apartment?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "I’m going to be living in that shitty apartment with her. If you want a fancy meal from me, you need to come over to the apartment." Her words trailed off as she dashed toward the garage.

"Tell Natalia to ensure the apartment is clean when I come over!" Valentina shot at Maya, her tone dripping with snobbery.

Maya paused. "Sure, bring along some cleaning supplies and one of the maids to help tidy up the apartment."

"Oh, that’s a good idea, Maya! I will bring all the maids. I need the apartment to be spotless to stay there for some hours." Damn, Maya suppressed a laugh. Valentina thought she was serious.

"Alright, sis, I’m expecting a visit from you." Maya waved her hand over her shoulder. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Once Maya was in the garage, laughter burst out from her. She is looking forward to a visit from Valentina.

●●●●●

The air in the kitchen was filled with the fragrant aroma of sautéing vegetables. Maya stands at the stove, a wooden spoon in hand, stirring a colourful medley of zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes in a large skillet. She is preparing ratatouille, a French vegetable stew.

The kitchen is lively, filled with laughter from Natalia and Laura, along with the sound of clinking glasses as they stand by Maya’s side, sipping wine.

"The gentlemen’s club is boring without you. I miss hanging out with you in the staff room," Laura bewailed.

Maya smiled as she stirred the stew. "I miss you too, but definitely not the gentlemen’s club." Her expression turned sour suddenly.

Laura laughed. "Why were you working at the gentlemen’s club anyway? You hated every second and minute you spent there."

Maya went silent, unsure of how to respond.

"So, are you dating Dalton Black now?" Natalia asked, shifting the conversation and saving Maya from answering Laura’s question.

Maya felt incredibly grateful. She decided she would make cinnamon rolls for Natalia as a thank-you for this.

Laura leaned in, intrigued, and accidentally spilt her wine into the stew. "Ooh, Dalton Black?? Omg, tell us everything! What’s he like? When did you start dating?"

Maya moves to the counter to chop some fresh basil. "Well, we aren’t officially dating yet, but we will be once he returns from London." There is a dreamy look in her eyes as she speaks. "Don’t believe what people say about Dalton; he is sweet, caring, and kind."

"You look so smitten when you talk about him!" Laura squealed.

Natalia raised an eyebrow, a sceptical expression on her face. "Dalton Black, the company Eater, is a sweet guy?"

Maya added a pinch of salt to the stew. "Yes, he has been so caring and protective of me. He treats me tenderly," she said, a smile curling on her lips.

Maya paused to think about his surprise visit and the flowers he had brought her, his words making her feel better.

He is so perfect.

"So, you guys have the ’hate everyone but you’ trope going on," Natalia said playfully. "He seems to treat everyone coldly except you, Maya. "

Maya laughed, her head thrown back. "Maybe," she shrugged. She felt a sense of smugness about it, feeling she was special. She is the only girl Dalton shows his soft side to.

Laura grinned. "Oh my God, I’m so happy for you! He is a handsome billionaire, and you are like a beautiful Cinderella!"

"Well, have him open a five-star restaurant for you," Natalia suggested playfully.

Maya laughed. "No! I’m good. The salary he is paying me to be his personal chef is enough for me to open my dream restaurant in a few years."

Laura took a sip of her wine. "That’s awesome! I love a generous man. The dishes you make are so delicious. The salary he is paying you is what you deserve, or even more than that."

Maya blushed slightly and turned back to the stove to add the tomatoes, pouring them in.

Natalia leaned closer. "That guy is so lucky. He gets to eat all the amazing dishes you make and gets to fuck you on top of that."

Laura spilled her wine. "Natalia you have no filter at all!"

Maya only laughed; she was used to it.

She finished cooking the ratatouille and served it with crusty French bread. They sat at a small round table on the balcony to eat.

Natalia went in to retrieve a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. "The wine is finished; I have another bottle," Laura said as she went to the living room to fetch it from her bag.

"We are switching to vodka, Maya. Since you don’t like hard liquor, you can drink this wine," Laura said, thrusting a bottle of wine into Maya’s hand.

"Okay, thanks," Maya replied, setting the wine on the table.

"Guys, I need to use the washroom," Maya excused herself.

A few minutes later, she returned. Laura was nowhere to be found, and Natalia was pouring a glass of wine.

"Where is Laura?" Maya asked.

"Went in for Water," Natalia replied, gesturing with her hand.

"I thought you were drinking vodka," Maya glanced at the wine Natalia had poured for her.

"Yes, I poured it for you," Natalia replied, handing her the glass of wine.

"That’s nice of you," Maya settled back in her seat to enjoy the wine.

Laura returned, and they resumed eating.

"Cheers to this delicious ratatouille!" Laura exclaimed as she clinked her shot glass with Natalia’s and Maya’s. "And cheers to the maker!" They clinked their glasses again, giggling.

The balcony was filled with laughter and the comforting sounds of conversation as they ate, drank, and continued to chat about Dalton. The vibrant colours of the ratatouille mirrored the excitement in the air.

Once they finished eating, they cleared the table. Natalia and Laura washed the dishes while Maya took out the trash.

As Maya walked to the dumpster, her steps were unsteady because she felt tipsy, almost as if she were drunk, even though she only had that one glass of wine that Natalia poured for her.

Maya hoisted the bag of trash and felt its weight pulling her down as she took a step toward the dumpster.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her. The world around her began to spin, and the flickering light above her blurred into a halo. "What the...?" she gasped, her heart racing. She stumbled, and the bag of trash slipped from her grasp, crashing to the ground and spilling its contents in a chaotic mess.

Maya’s vision darkened at the edges, and she felt her knees buckle beneath her. "No, no, not now..." she whispered, panic rising in her chest. She attempted to steady herself against the dumpster, but her body betrayed her. The last thing she saw was a man in black hovering over her before everything faded to black.

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