Chapter 4 Her Crime

Damon's POV I sighed softly, feeling a strange mix of emotions as I helped her up and ran my fingers through her hair gently. "Now, Maya, if only you had kept quiet about what you saw. But now, I have to keep you here until things calm down," I murmured, watching her closely. She seemed so fragile, yet there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes as she whispered, "When, master?" I couldn't help but smile at the hope in her voice. Part of me wanted to crush it, but I knew it had to be done slowly. "Soon," I replied, leaning in to kiss her tenderly on the lips. She was taken aback and frozen in shock. I wanted her to respond, to show some emotion. My hand moved to the back of her neck, gently urging her to return the kiss. She hesitated at first, but then slowly, tentatively, she kissed me back. Pulling away, I saw the embarrassment and confusion in her eyes. I demanded her attention, making her look at me. "When I return, I don’t want those clothes on you," I instructed firmly. She slowly raised her blood-red eyes to mine. She looked puzzled, and I couldn't help but frown. What did she not understand? I pulled her closer, feeling her against my chest. "I want you to be completely naked when I come back, no clothes, just naked from head to toe," I whispered as I kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later." Leaving the room, I was taken aback to find Maria in the living room. It was already eleven, and she was supposed to be asleep. "Why are you still awake?" I asked, approaching her. Suspicion filled her brown eyes as she looked at me. "You said she was a maid, so why is she in your room?" she questioned. Pouring myself a glass of tequila, I took a moment before responding, "She's my servant, and I don't want you getting close to her, no matter what you're up to." "Why?" she inquired. "If you don't want to go back to Derinem, you better do as I say," I warned. Derinem, my older brother, controlled half of the Mafia while I controlled the other half. He was strict with Maria as well. She pouted, and a cloud of sadness covered her face. I knew she was worried. "Don't worry, I've taken care of everything," I reassured her. Rubbing her shoulders, her silk gown crumpled, and her blonde hair was loosely tied in a ponytail. "Are you sure no one else saw the report? What if the journalist writes another one?" she whispered. I couldn't understand why she didn't believe me when I said I had everything under control. "The journalist won't show up," I recalled Maya. Maria glanced at me. "What did you do to the journalist?" Thinking quickly, I came up with a lie. "I paid her off..." "It's a woman?" she questioned. I held back from revealing more details. "What's important, Maria, is that no one will find out what happened." One year earlier... It was a joyous night, and all the influential people were attending a house party hosted by Alfredo. After much pleading from my seventeen-year-old sister, I agreed to take her as my date. She was stunning in that blue gown, her hair cascading in beautiful curls down the side of her face. We swayed to the soft music, my hand resting on her back as she gazed at me with excitement. "I'm so happy you brought me along, Damon. Derinem would never have allowed it," she whispered. "You've been good. Just steer clear of the alcohol," I warned with a smile. "Okay, Damon." Alfredo tapped me on the shoulder, signaling he wanted to discuss business. I excused myself, leaving Maria behind with a promise to return. She didn't seem to mind. As we moved to the other side of the room, I kept a watchful eye on her. She held her two hands nervously, glancing around the room. Then, a young man approached her. He was the president's son, standing in for his father. He asked Maria to dance, and she accepted with delight. I felt a pang of jealousy, but I resisted the urge to intervene. Instead, I focused on Alfredo's words about a shipment that had arrived at the shore without my knowledge. When they left the party hall together, Maria's face beamed with happiness. After a few minutes passed without her return, I excused myself and followed their path. It led to an empty corridor. Concerned and angry, I muttered to myself, "We'll have a serious conversation when we get home, Maria." Suddenly, gunshots rang out, echoing through the corridor. The sound came from a nearby room. I rushed towards it, trying to open the door, but it was locked. Maria's cries came from inside. With a swift kick, I forced the door open, and what I saw inside left me breathless. "I didn't mean to shoot him, he was overpowering me," Maria's eyes welled up with tears. I embraced her tightly, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You didn't do anything wrong," I reassured her, feeling a surge of anger building up inside me as I witnessed the aftermath of the assault. The sight of Maria's torn and bloody clothes, along with the lifeless body of the president's son lying on the bed, fueled my hatred even more. If he hadn't already been dead, I would have made sure he suffered the most gruesome fate imaginable. Now, I had to figure out how to dispose of his body discreetly. I swiftly wrapped a bedsheet around Maria, instructing her in a hushed tone, "Listen to me carefully. Go to the limo and wait for me there. Make sure no one sees you. Now, go." She hurriedly opened the door, only to freeze in shock when she saw someone standing outside. It was Maya. Maya's expression turned fearful as she glanced at me, then at the lifeless body, and finally at the tearful Maria. Sensing the gravity of the situation, she wisely chose to remain silent and walked away. Little did we know that Maya would wait an entire year before revealing the truth to the police.