C13 Confusion and worries

Maria's pov~

I finally managed to get a hold of Estelle through the house phone. I had been trying since morning and I was starting to lose hope. But finally in the afternoon it finally went,hearing her voice on the other end of the line brought me a sense of comfort that I desperately needed.

We talked for hours, catching up on everything that had happened since last night and also told her about the mysterious guy and all.She was surprised and asked me to spill more details about his looks. I told her I didn't want to talk much about him since I am married even though Rafael could have someone else I wasn't going to be like him.

I suddenly remembered that Estelle and I had already applied for the job at the bank, and so I remained her.

"I'm so nervous, Maria," she admitted to me, her voice laced with anxiety. "What if we don't get the job?. I would be struck working as a waitress. Ugh I pray we get it,have you checked your emails for any messages from them??

I understood her fears, but I tried to reassure her. "We'll get it, Estelle. We're qualified, and we deserve it. We just have to stay positive and keep hoping."

As we talked, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we would finally get the news we were waiting for. And with the job I would be too busy to even think about Rafael and his girlfriend. Maybe I would even make new friends at work and start to socialize more.

Just as I was starting to feel a sense of peace, Rafael walked into the room. "Maria, I need to talk to you," he said, his voice firm.

I braced myself for another of his usual criticism, but instead, he surprised me with a small box in his hand. “A wife of a billionaire should not be using the house phone to make her personal calls, I don't care what happened to yours just ask for a new one next time” he said, dumping a package in my hands and leaving.

I closed my door behind him and unwrapped the package he had given me. I was surprised to see a brand new phone, the latest model of iphone. I gasped in shock. Why was he spending money on me when my dad owns his money?. I reasoned that it meant just an act of kindness but he wasn't the type I would refer to as kind, less I was grateful for the new phone.

I sat down and began to set up my new phone and I also backed it up so that I wouldn't lose most of my important details in the phone in case it gets stolen again. The first person in my mind to chat up and as soon as I was done with fixing it up was Estelle. She's practically the only friend I have so I tell her everything.

I sent her a text “hey girl, guess who just got a new phone!, yes me..come let me.spill you the teas”

Almost immediately my phone buzzed with an incoming text from Estelle “who?! She asked. I giggled cause I knew she was getting impatient to hear it.”Rafael did and yes I was shocked as you are but he said it was just because a wife of a billionaire shouldn't have to make her personal calls with the house phone. Still in shock though”

“Oh my gosh girl that sounds amazing maybe your charms are working on him”

I chuckled at her comment knowing too well that I had no such influence on him but I appreciated her comment though.

I decided to change the topic back to our job application. “So when are you going to check your emails?”

“I don't know her probably this evening or tomorrow morning, I just hope it would be good news”.

“Alright,I will also check mine today or tomorrow and then we would tell even another whether we got it or not”

“Okay then,I have something to do now, talk to you later” she said and then cut the call.

Rafael's pov~

As I sat in my study,sipping my coffee and going over some business paper, I couldn't help but think about Maria. The way she and that guy exchange looks at the club the other day still had me worried. I felt like at some point she and the guy had secretly exchanged contacts and I didn't know about it.

I had to admit there was something about Maria that was making me get drawn to her and I didn't like this. Maybe it was because I was seeing her everyday and she's now having an effect on me. I shook her out from my head and focused on my work.

As I sat my cup down and leaned back in my chair, I was surrounded by my wealth and power but yet I was never really happy until I met Leticia but now I'm married to Maria, I'm feeling something different and I don't what to quite name it.

As I sat there in my study, surrounded by the trappings of my wealth and power, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Maria deserved better than this, better than being married to a man who viewed her as nothing more than a trophy wife.

With a sigh, I pushed aside my thoughts and returned my focus to the task at hand. There were important deals to be made, alliances to be forged, and enemies to be vanquished. And my dad to handle, he always felt like I wasn't capable of running the company. That's why I'm doing what I can to prove him wrong. Even to the extent of agreeing to marry Maria just for him to approve of my worthiness.

But the same thing bothering me crossed my mind again and that was Maria and the mysterious stranger from the club. I needed to find out about that guy. Something about him felt awfully familiar and not in a good way that was for certain.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number, my eyes narrowing as I waited for the person on the other end to answer.

"Rafael, what can I do for you?" my head of security, Carlos, answered.

"Carlos, I need you to investigate someone. A man who was at the club the other night, talking to Maria. I don't know his name, but I'll send you a photo. Find out everything you can about him, and report back to me."

"Consider it done, Rafael. I'll get back to you soon."

I hung up the phone, my mind still filled with curiosity. Who was this stranger, and why did he look so familiar to me?

I rose up from my chair again and walked towards the window and noticed it was already getting dark. Was I so deep in thoughts that time had passed by so quickly? I sighed, gathered up my works together and out then into my drawer and then I left my study and proceeded to my bedroom.

I took my bath and laid down, while on my bed I scrolled through social media a bit and even though I was meant to chat with Leticia or call her I just didn't feel like doing so but so as not to make her think anything was up. I sent her a good night text and then dropped my phone and drifted off to sleep with a lot of thoughts still on my mind.