Chapter 41: Secrets In The Dark
370 Words
The music at Kingsley’s party thumped through the walls, but Maria wasn’t dancing anymore. She had drifted outside, drawn to the quiet of the garden. The moonlight bathed her in silver, her dress shimmering as she leaned against a tree, lost in thought. The air was cool, but her heart was far from calm.
“Running from the chaos?” a voice asked behind her.
She turned. Daniel.
“No,” she replied calmly, “Just breathing.”
He stepped closer, hands in his pockets, his eyes searching hers. “You look different tonight.”
“You mean dangerous?” she raised an eyebrow.
He gave a faint smirk. “Maybe. Or maybe just… real.”
Maria blinked. That wasn’t what she expected to hear from him, especially after everything.
Daniel moved closer, their faces now inches apart. “Why him?” he asked, voice low. “Alex?”
She crossed her arms, her voice sharp. “Why her? You didn’t seem to care when you were with that girl last week.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched. “That wasn’t the same.”
“No,” she said, eyes hard, “It never is when you’re the one doing the damage.”
The words hit like a slap, but Daniel didn’t flinch. He just stared at her, as if trying to read what was left of the girl he thought he knew. The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.
“I miss you, Maria,” he said finally, his voice stripped of its usual cocky tone.
Her heart twisted at the sound of his honesty, but she refused to let it show.
“You miss the game,” she said steadily. “Not me.”
Daniel reached for her wrist, but she pulled away before he could touch her.
“I’m not your bet anymore, Daniel. And I never will be again.”
With that, she turned and walked away, heels clicking against the pavement — each step stronger than the last.
Daniel stood there in the moonlight, watching her disappear into the crowd, the sting of her words cutting deeper than he wanted to admit.
Maybe Emeka was right.
This wasn’t just a game anymore.
- Writer
