Raphael's POV
Louis stood at the door as I loosened my grip around Maya.
"Take her to her room," I declared as Louis followed after she left.
"Pour me another glass." I bade Drake.
"Here you go. Your lawyer should be here any moment from now." He said, handing over the wine.
"So what?" I questioned angrily.
"You should know what to say to Maya," Drake replied, disregarding my sentiments.
"Drake, what do you mean?" He asked, turning his attention to me.
"You know what I mean, let's begin.
Here is the thing, you are going to act as a messenger, you will send the papers to her and pretend to know nothing about it.
"Then?" I asked with curiosity.
"Of course, you will give it to her to read? From there, she will start behaving feminine." He steepled his fingers as he replied thoughtfully.
"And what will be my part?" I shrugged.
"Then you set in, trying to console her if possible hug her. Talk to her in a heartwarming way, and make her feel she has someone to turn to." He said seriously as I snorted out of boredom.
"Very boring, how can I do all that nonsense?" I asked, emptying my glass.
"King? I am serious with everything I am saying. Don't be bossy this time, if you do that, forget everything. He said, moving up and down my room.
"Light me a cigar. This is way too boring." I said, lying in bed with my hands over my head.
"You know, sometimes I just wonder why I am still your friend, fuck! Go to hell, I will be back.".
He said and slammed the door as he left my room.
"Shit! Drake." I cursed, following behind.
I reached the hall and I heard him with Hayat.
"Hayat, where is Maya?" Drake asked.
"She is in her room, anything you would want me to do?" She asked.
"Yes, I want you to do something for me, it's very important," Drake said, holding out Hayat's hand as they looked each other in the eyes.
"I am all ears, Mr. Drake." She said with a nod.
"I want you to send this message to all the workers in this house. Tell them not to call King by King, for some reasons which I am not going to tell you. Again, tell them any mistake won't be encouraged. Anyone who was heard calling him would be fired with immediate effect." Drake said seriously.
"And wait! No one should tell Maya about the King. That's all for now, you can leave. Remember, no mistake." Drake warned as he let go of her.
"Then what should we call him then." She asked as I moved closer.
"Tell them to call me boss or sir," I replied behind, jamming my hands in his pockets.
"Hayat? You heard him, you can leave. Good, you are here, your lawyer is waiting for you in the living room." Drake said, holding her playfully on the shoulder.
"I don't have anything to discuss with you, it's your business, not mine. Take care of it yourself, I will be in the library." I said, tapping him with my left hand as I bypassed him.
"Fuck you, King. Wait, don't leave, where is the ring?" He asked, standing in his usual position.
"In the drawer in my study, get it yourself," I replied, raising my voice as I walked away.
"King?" Drake called, shifting my attention from the document scanned through.
"Can't you just leave me alone for a minute? Drake, what do you want this time?" I asked, twirling a pencil next to my temple.
"Take this," he said as he slid a brown envelope onto the table.
"What is that?" I asked, not attempting to take it.
"This is what you have to give Maya, it also has the ring. I am leaving now." He said, darting to the french door.
"Leaving?" I asked sharply.
"Yes, I have to see my girlfriend, she is not doing very well." He said and truly left.
"Seriously, Drake!" I thought, tilting my head then pressed my lips firmly together as I hauled the envelope and strolled to Maya's room.
As I opened the door, the scent of roses filled my nose. I entered Maya's room and for some time, I became speechless, my jaw dropping at my panorama. She was in just a towel, covering her up to her mid-thighs with her hair drenched. She screamed, firmly holding onto the towel as she saw me through the mirror.
"What the hell are you doing? Stop looking at me and talk. What are you doing here? She repeated. Why didn't you even knock? So arrogant." She said, waggled her eyebrows, and twitched her lips in annoyance.
"I did but you didn't hear since you were in the shower." I said then smiled inwardly as I kept my gaze fixed on her.
"Really? Never mind, wait here, I will change into something decent." She replied, slumping her shoulder as she disappeared to her closet.
"I walked to the window to inhale the lovely rose scent.
She came back wrapped in a morning coat. She looked graciously beautiful, especially with wet hair.
She swayed to the bed displaying her beautiful long legs as her pretty delicate naked feet touched the ground.
"Now tell me, Raphael, why are you here?" She asked as her face burned scarlet from embarrassment.
The mention of Raphael brought me to life.
"Well, King's lawyer asked me to bring you this. They are from him," I said, placing it beside her on the bed.
"What is that?" She asked, turning it upside down then glimpsed at me with my head tilted.
"You are not blind, are you? You are also not illiterate, are you? Take it, have a look at it yourself, I don't know what is in there." I said, folding my arms over my chest while leaning against the wall.
"Whatever!" She said as I kept my eyes glued to her, awaiting her reactions.
She opened it and smiled slightly and shook her head, she didn't say anything. She scanned through it again and paused, she was calm.
"What is this?" She said, waving the papers in the air with a skeptical glance.
"What is what?" I asked, pretending
not to know anything.
"This?" She asked, raising the papers high.
What is that? Is something wrong? What does it say? I asked calmly, coming closer to her.
"I guess you are not visually impaired? See it for yourself. " She said, slamming it into my hand.
"What's wrong with this? Do you just have to sign them?" I asked as I couldn't do as Drake said.
"What? Are you hearing yourself? Or can't you read? If I sign them it means I have married him. I will be his wife for God's sake!" She replied yelling as she placed her head in her hands.
She raised her head, visibly, she was really affected. She spoke firmly but calmly.
"Should I marry someone I don't know, what kind of marriage is this, where I don't get to see my husband? How he looks, no oath, are you crazy? And you want me to marry him? Sometimes I don't even know the difference between the two of you. She ended, massaging her temples.
I won't sign anything, send them back to him. She said with tears sprouting in her eyes. "She cries so easily." I thought, chuckling.
"Maya? Do you know you can't decide? You just have to sign it. You will just have to put on your wedding ring. You won't even see him for a whole year. Just sign them."
I said, slowly placing the papers beside her. And then, I took a step backward.
"You are still crazy, how can I get married to someone I won't see for a whole year? To put that aside, he killed my husband. Tell me, since you do everything for him, did he kill my husband, or did he order you to?" She asked, staring blankly with her wet eyes.
"You were not married to him? How was he your husband?" I asked as I straddled a chair to sit.
"That is not what I asked_," She said, cutting in.
"I didn't kill your husband," I said honestly because Rafael didn't have anything to do with the killing. But I didn't trust the King in me.
"And what about King? He did, didn't he?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her.
"I don't know," I replied plainly.
"Why are you with him? What did you do for him? Or did you have my fate? Did you owe him? Please tell me why you are with him." She asked, tearing apart.
"Come here?" I said with my arms open to welcome her. She managed to stand up and reluctantly walked to me and embraced me.
"Please send me away from here, I don't want anything to do with him, I want to leave." She pleaded while in my embrace.
"Shh..... don't say anything, just be in my embrace for a while," I said as I placed my hand on her hair.
"Sorry but I am King himself." I thought, smiling inwardly.
I freed her and well done, my shirt was soaked with tears. "Do I have to go through all these? Drake?" I cursed beneath my breath.
I watched her stare at the papers confusingly. "Should I leave you alone for now?" I asked, not knowing my next step.
"No, I have made up my mind." She replied firmly.
"Maya? What have you decided to do?" I said and she placed the the papers down, walking away.