RAVEN.

As Raven stared back at Felipe Brant, she knew one thing was certain — she had already captivated this man!

Her plan was working.

"Oh!" She feigned surprise, standing up straight and clasping her hands together in front of her. Her countenance was that of a shy one. "You must be Mr. Brant. Hello, I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

"No," Felipe said, trying to sound calm, but his husky voice betrayed him. "It's okay. I was the one who startled you." He paused and then asked, "I'm sorry, who are you?" He had to confirm if this lady was truly a maid.

"I'm Lily." Raven answered shyly, wringing her hands "I'm one of the maids that arrived today."

For a moment, neither said anything. They just stood and stared at each other, their eyes full of emotions… well, only his.

Then, an approaching footsteps startled either of them.

"I must take my leave, Sir." She nodded politely and then headed towards the exit where Felipe stood.

Before she left, she intentionally brushed her hand on Felipe's, the feel of her skin igniting a momentary spark in him, and it was just as much as Felipe could do to pull her back and crush his lips on hers.

Felipe stood there, motionless, his heart pounding as harder and faster than it'd ever pounded before. Never in his life had he felt so sure of love. He'd never believed in love at first sight — but here he was, so in love.

Lara and Lucy came into the dining room.

"Hey Babe. You're back!" Lara said, landing a slight kiss on his lips.

Felipe didn't react to the kiss — well, has he ever?— his mind was already consumed by this maid — Lucy.

Lara, getting no response from him, rolled her eyes and sat down on the table. She knew her husband didn't love her and she's been trying so hard to get him to love her without any fruitful result.

And the fact that her husband was a cheater wasn't lost on her — he wasn't even trying to hide it — but what more could she do than to scare the ladies he's been cheating with away.

Felipe regained his composure and then sat down in his seat.

"So, Lucy, how was your day?" Felipe asked, digging into his steak.

Little Lucy, excited, chattered away in her tiny, but Felipe was barely listening — he still found his thought drawn to Lily; she'd consumed every inch of his mind.

"Babe, are you okay?" Lara asked, noticing the mood her husband was in "Is everything alright?"

"It's fine." He answered simply in a curt tone, returning to his meal.

But Lara didn't believe it.

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As the cold water cascaded over Raven, she reveled in the thought that her plan was already working. It was as clear as day that Felipe was already in love with her. She thought it'd take time to capture his heart, but clearly, it didn't.

At this rate, she wouldn't need to stay here more than a week before destroying Lara's life.

She turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around her body before heading back to their quarters. Fay and Aliya were already fast asleep, snoring softly. Moving quietly, she slipped into her pajamas, then rummaged through her bag to retrieve her earbuds. With her prize in hand, she moved swiftly, like a snake in the dark, and slipped back into the bathroom without making a sound.

She slipped the earbud into her ear, switched it on, and a seamless connection with Adam's device was established.

"Hello." She whispered into the earbud. "Adam? Adam, are you there?"

"Yes," Adam's deep voice came on the line almost immediately "Jesus! Raven, you scared the shit out of me! I thought she'd called the police on you for being an imposter. What the hell happened to contacting me when you make it in?"

Raven could imagine his cute frown, even though he wasn't there and she couldn't help but smile.

"Chillax! I didn't get the time to contact you; there was just too much work that had to be done." Raven replied "Besides, how would she recognize me? I was so insignificant in her life… but she had a huge impact on mine."

Adam noticed the pain and emotion that that last statement carried.

"But ain't that a good thing for you now?" Adam queried soothingly "I mean, I think the less she knows about your presence in that house, the better. It'd make things easier for you."

"I know." Raven said "Enough about me, how are things on your side? Have you sent the proposal to Felipe's company?"

"Yes, we have." Adam answered, "I think we'll get a reply tomorrow."

"Good."

"What about you? Have you managed to hook him?" Adam asked, the envy in his voice undeniable.

"Yes, he's totally hooked." Raven answered smugly "How could a man like him deny my beauty? Unless he has bad standards."

"Whatever! You just be careful, okay?"

"I most certainly will." Raven replied "You too. Hey, Adam?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you… for being by my side."

There was a slight pause "Anything for you."

Raven took off the earbuds and turned it off.

Truly, Adam had been a profound and transformative presence in her life. When she was at her lowest point, teetering on the edge of despair, he had stepped in and pulled her back from the brink of suicide. He didn't just save her life that day; he gave her a reason to keep going.

Adam took her into his home, offering her a safe haven when she had nowhere else to turn. With unwavering patience and kindness, he cared for her in ways she never thought anyone would. He made sure she ate, rested, and slowly began to reclaim her sense of self.

He listened without judgment, gently encouraging her to open up about her pain, and made it his mission to help her rebuild her shattered mental state. His support never wavered, even during the toughest days. He became her anchor, her safe harbor in a storm of chaos. She couldn't be more grateful for the lifeline he had extended when she needed it the most.

There at the spot she made an impulsive decision — she was going to neutralize those security cameras tonight. Besides, everyone had already fallen asleep.

Moving swiftly and silently, she slipped out of the bathroom — still her eyes scanning the house with sharp precision. One by one, she pinpointed the locations of the security cameras, carefully staying out of their line of sight. With steady hands, she sprayed each lens, ensuring no trace of her presence was recorded, double-checking each angle to confirm the cameras had been completely disabled.

She was about to head to the gym center when she heard footsteps approaching. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly concealed herself; she peeped and saw Felipe.

He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, then he brought out a bottle of water and gulped it down his throat.

Lily still bewitched him. It was like she'd put an irrevocable spell on him. He couldn't sleep, every thought he had was of her — her charming eyes staring deep into his, expressing her love and admiration for him and the heavenly sensation her skin had caused when they made body contact.

He'd been with more girls than he could count, but he'd never met one as lovely and as fascinating as her.

Meanwhile, Raven saw her chance — all she needed to have Felipe completely in her thrall was a moment alone with him, and this was it.

She moved drowsily to the kitchen as though she'd just woken up from sleep — she was quite the actress — she made a dramatic, startled pause as she pretended to see Felipe for the first time.

"Oh!" She exclaimed dramatically.

"Did I scare you again?" Felipe asked, feeling his heart palpitating at the sight of her "Sorry. That seems to be like a habit now, doesn't it?"

"No, it's okay Mr Brant." She replied, feigning shyness, "I hope I didn't interrupt you. I just came to get some water."

"Yeah, you didn't." He said.

Raven grabbed a cup and turned on the faucet letting water into the cup.

"You know, you can drink from the water bottles in the fridge," Felipe said, his intent gaze on her was filled with emotions and desires.

"It's okay, Mr Brant." Raven said, draining the cup "I'm used to it now."

"Oh! So this isn't the first place you've worked as a maid? You're so young!" He inquired trying to initiate a conversation with her.

"Well, yes Sir." Raven answered, her voice filled with false politeness "This place is actually the fourth."

"Why did you quit your other jobs?"

"Well…" Raven wrung her hands, "You see… I've been struggling to pay my tuition fees, so at every school break, I try to earn money by working in any kind of job I can find. I'll be back in two weeks."

"Oh!" was all Felipe could say.

"Well, it was really nice chatting with you Mr Brant." Raven said, indirectly declaring her departure "Of all the bosses I've worked for, you're the kindest of them all. Mrs Brant is so lucky to have you."

She made to leave, but he caught her hand, halting her.

Raven smiled. It was working!

She turned, feigning surprise. "Mr Brant! What are you…"

"You feel it too, don't you?"

"What?" She gaped at him.

"The connection." He answered, "There's this connection between us, and I know you can feel it too… don't you?"

Raven faked confusion "But Mr Brant… you're married." She tried to wiggle her hand away.

"You're not denying it." He said, still gripping her tightly, his voice filled with emotion "I know I'm not the only one who has these feelings. You've been on my mind since this evening, Lily and I can't shake it off. It's like you've bewitched me!"

Yeah, you could say that, Raven thought.

"But… I can't do this to Mrs Brant, she's…"

"To hell with her!" He spat, "Just tell me you feel the same way, and I'll find a way to make this work."

Raven stared at Felipe, her eyes hesitant.

Guilt began to creep in.

Surely this man was innocent, he had no idea about how his wife ruined her life and wasn't present at the time and yet, here she was, trying to destroy all he'd built in the name of revenge— but his wife had also ruined her life and her family which was also innocent, so it'd be totally fair.

Right?

"Fuck it!" She said and threw herself at Felipe, crushing her lips on his.