Waiting in the shadows

Seeds of Doubt

Morning arrived quietly. Soft sunlight slipped through the curtains of Maya's bedroom, warming the room with its gentle glow. For a moment, everything felt calm. Peaceful. Maya stirred in bed, her mind still heavy from the events of the previous night.

The dinner.

Damein's strange questions, His confession And the question he left hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.

Do you love me? Her eyes opened slowly She stood up and walked towards Damien's room

It was empty The sheets were already cool Damein had left.

Maya sat up immediately "That's strange," she murmured She walked downstairs.

The kitchen was silent , No coffee, no breakfast, no note Just a clean counter and the quiet hum of the refrigerator.

Her chest tightened slightly.

Normally, Damein woke earlier than her, but he always left small signs of his presence behind. A cup of coffee is waiting on the kitchen counter. The faint smell of breakfast. Sometimes even a short message scribbled on a sticky note.

Today there was nothing.

Did he leave early because of last night?

She replayed the dinner conversation in her mind. The way he had suddenly stopped eating And the way he had looked at her when she said she slept at the office.

Maya leaned against the counter, her fingers resting lightly on the marble surface Alicia was right... I'm terrible at lying.

A wave of unease washed over her Did Damien find out something?

The thought made her stomach twist Still, she quickly pushed it aside.

"No," she whispered to herself.

If he knew the truth, he would have confronted her immediately. Damein wasn't the type to hide things for long He would want answers And he didn't get one last night Maya exhaled slowly.

Tonight, she decided she would explain everything tonight.

The truth about Lucas About the night at the hotel, the fact that their marriage had always been a contract. It wasn't real from the beginning.

Damein deserved honesty, even if it hurts, even if it changed everything With that resolution in mind, she got ready for work. But the uneasiness in her chest never fully disappeared.

Meanwhile, across the city, Sophie stepped out of her car with determination burning in her eyes. The hospital stood tall before her. White walls. Glass doors. A symbol of the life she once believed she would have Instead, everything had been slipping out of her control. Lucas, His company, his affection, and now even his loyalty, all because of Maya Bennett.

Sophie's jaw tightened No.

She wasn't going to lose everything without a fight, She walked through the hospital entrance and headed straight toward the reception desk.

"I'm here to see Dr Damein," she said smoothly.

The receptionist looked up "He's currently in surgery."

"I'll wait." Her tone left little room for argument.

Nearly an hour later, Damein finally stepped out into the corridor, removing his surgical gloves. The moment he saw Sophie sitting in the waiting area, his expression darkened.

Again.

He walked toward her, clearly annoyed. "Sophie," he said sharply. "You need to stop coming here."

She stood up calmly. "We need to talk."

"I told you yesterday," he replied coldly. "I'm not interested in whatever scheme you're planning."

He turned slightly, already preparing to walk away.

But Sophie followed him. "Let's go outside," she said.

Damein sighed in frustration but eventually stepped toward the hospital garden again. The shaded area beneath the large tree was quiet, just like the day before.

Damein crossed his arms. "You have two minutes."

Sophie tilted her head slightly. "I see you haven't called me."

"No."

"And you haven't agreed to work with me."

"No." She smiled faintly. "You're stubborn."

"I'm rational," he corrected. "And I don't make deals with people who manipulate situations."

Sophie studied his face carefully. "So you still trust Maya."

Damein's jaw tightened slightly. "That's none of your business."

"Interesting," she murmured.

He turned to leave "I'm done here."

But desperation suddenly overtook Sophie. "Do you know what Lucas did?" she shouted after him.

Damein stopped He turned slowly "What?"

Sophie stepped closer, her voice dripping with bitterness "Lucas bought ninety per cent of Thoreau shares." The one located in Paris.

Damein frowned."So?"

"They're in Maya's name."

That made him pause.

Sophie's smile widened"Yes," she continued. "Ninety per cent of the company... all under Maya Bennett."

Her eyes burned with anger.

"Do you know how humiliating that is? I'm his wife and I don't even own that percentage."

Damein remained silent.

"And the best part?" Sophie added mockingly. "Maya doesn't even know."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Lucas bought those shares secretly for her," Sophie said. "She has no idea." She crossed her arms.

"What do you think will happen when she finds out?"

Damein didn't respond.

"Oh come on," Sophie continued. "Use your brain."

"She'll run straight back to Lucas."

The words hung in the air.

"She'll pack her bags, leave your house, and go build her perfect little life with him."

Her voice sharpened. "And you'll be left alone."

Damein's eyes hardened "Stop."

But Sophie hasn't finished. "Don't be a fool," she said coldly. "You're just a temporary stop in her life."

Damein turned away "I'm not doing this with you." He walked toward the hospital entrance sohie watched him go, anger boiling beneath her skin.

"Fine," she muttered.

"Walk away." But the fury in her chest burned stronger than ever The fact that Damien refused to cooperate with her made her feel powerless And Sophie hated feeling powerless.

That evening, the sun slowly dipped below the skyline Inside the house, Maya sat on the couch, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. 7:10 PM, Damein was usually home by now She picked up her phone and checked her messages Nothing Her anxiety grew stronger.

"Maybe he's just busy," she told herself.

Still, the silence felt wrong. Maya stood up and walked around the living room, trying to distract herself But the worry refused to fade. Finally, she picked up her phone and called Alicia The call connected quickly.

"Maya?" Alicia's voice came through.

"Alicia, can you check something for me?"

"Sure."

"Is Damein still at the hospital?"

There was a brief pause.

"Hold on," Alicia said. "Let me ask around."

Maya waited, pacing the room nervously After a minute, Alicia came back on the line.

"Maya..."

"Yes?"

"He's not here."

Maya froze. "What do you mean he's not there?"

"He left hours ago," Alicia replied. "Around the afternoon."

A cold feeling crept through Maya's chest "If he's not at home... and he's not at the hospital..."

Her mind began racing with possibilities.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.