In the arms of two sins

Chapter 18

Mara's POV

The door creaked open.

Margaret stood there, breathless, eyes wide as though she’d seen a ghost.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am—sir,” she stammered. “One of the staff must have… accidentally locked it from the outside. I heard a noise and came to check.”

Elias exhaled, running a hand through his hair as if forcing down the frustration simmering beneath the surface.

“Someone locked us in,” he said, his voice low but controlled. “Thank you for opening it.”

She nodded quickly.

Then his eyes fell to my bare feet.

“Margaret,” he said. “Get her a pair of flats. Something she can actually walk in.”

“Of course, sir.”

His attention shifted to me again before he turned and walked away.

Margaret stepped forward, voice softening.

“I’ll be back in a minute, ma’am.”

And she disappeared down the corridor.

I stood there, trying to steady my heartbeat, still processing what had just happened.

We were almost caught.

Margaret soon returned with a shoebox cradled in both hands.

“These should fit,” she said gently.

I sat, letting her help me slip them on. Her fingers were careful, almost reverent.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “For this… and earlier at the house. When I—”

I lowered my voice. “when I vomited.”

She gave a shy, sympathetic smile.

“You’re welcome, ma’am. How are you feeling now?”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Have you had anything to eat?”

She hesitated. “W-well… I’ll eat later tonight.”

“No. You should eat,” I said softly. “It’s a family celebration. You’re part of the family too. You deserve to enjoy something before the night ends.”

Her eyes widened, cheeks warming.

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Lawson.”

“You can call me Mara,” I said, amused at her surprise. “We might even be age mates—who knows, you might senior me.”

She laughed lightly, shaking her head.

A thought struck me.

“Oh! I wanted to ask…”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“H… have you ever been to Scott Enterprise?” I asked, tilting my head. “I thought I saw you there once, months ago, when Elias and I went for a meeting.”

She blinked, then laughed, the sound small and nervous.

“Oh no, ma’am. Definitely not me. I’ve never stepped foot in that kind of place. Big companies like that are above my level entirely.”

I nodded slowly.

“Maybe it was just my eyes. I even stood up to look properly, but I couldn’t find you again.”

She smiled politely.

“What would I be doing there, ma’am?”

“True,” I whispered.

That made sense.

What would she be doing there anyways, I told myself.

She finished helping me up, and I thanked her again before heading back to the party.

The night air greeted me first—cool, sharp, filled with murmurs of excitement as everyone gathered outside. The fireworks crew stood ready.

“Get ready!” someone called out.

Everyone cheered as the first spark shot into the sky, blooming into a burst of light. More followed. Gold, red, blue, filling the darkness with color.

It was beautiful.

“Enjoying the party?”

David’s voice appeared beside me. I turned towards him.

“I didn’t see you earlier,” he continued. “You disappeared before dinner.”

“I was feeling a bit tired,” I said simply. “I just needed to rest.”

He nodded, studying my face.

“How are you feeling now? You… looked sick yesterday morning.”

Of course he remembered.

“I’m fine. Really,” I said with a small smile.

When the fireworks ended, everyone headed back into the hall, laughing, returning to their seats.

Elias was already on stage preparing his closing speech. The hall dimmed slightly to highlight him. A spotlight of attention.

I tried to focus.

But then

Something glinted above him.

The chandelier.

A slight tremor ran through it.

Barely noticeable.

But noticeable enough.

I frowned, leaning forward.

“Mara?” David murmured.

“The chandelier…” I whispered. “Don’t you think something is wrong with it?”

He looked up and stiffened.

“Holy shit.”

Before either of us could blink, the crystals quivered again, harder this time.

The chain twisted

The metal frame dipped and then the chandelier snapped loose and fell.

Screams tore through the hall. Chairs scraped. People scattered.

And I didn’t think.

I hurried toward the stage on instinct while people moved back.

Hands out, to shove him out of the way and save him.

But David caught me.

He yanked me back so hard my breath left my body.

“Mara! Don’t—!”

I heard the sound of the chandelier slamming into the stage with a violent explosion of glass and metal.

Lights burst.

Sparks cracked.

I tried to look but David shoved my head into his chest, covering my eyes with his hand.

“Don’t look” he said.

But my knees were already buckling.

My heart clawed against my ribs.

My ears rang with screams and the echo of shattering crystal.

Is Elias alive?

Is he—

Voices blurred.

The last thing I felt was David’s arms trying to steady me

As everything went black.