Mill Neck, New York
Page Mansion
After Gabriel finished his meal, he cleaned his mouth with a napkin and washed his hands at the sink. Just then, Maria entered the kitchen holding three plates and walked over to the kitchen sink before dropping them there.
"Thank goodness you ate" Maria said as she took his plate from behind him, and dropped it in the sink "You were shouting a lot so I was kind of worried you'd lose your appetite"
"Worried? Do I look like someone who needs a nanny to be worried about me?" Gabriel asked and Maria took a good long look at him. She noticed his muscles that were visible from his shirt and instantly turned her head away before she put some soap on the plates and began to wash them
"Sorry for intruding" Maria said as she continued to wash all four plates. When she was done, she kept the plates back in where she took them from, and dried her hands. When she looked back, Gabriel was no longer in the kitchen 'That man...is really unbelievable'
Maria left the kitchen and headed to the living area where she noticed the twins and Gabriel were sitting on the sofa watching TV. She took out her phone from her pocket and stared at the time.
'It's already seven thirty' she thought as she removed the scrunchy tying up her hair and announced as she got closer to them "Dan, Cia, it's seven thirty"
The twins groaned "Already?"
"Yeah. Bath time" Maria said "Don't forget to brush your teeth. Get moving"
"Yes, ma'am" Cia said as she jumped out of the sofa and ran upstairs with Dan after he offed the TV
"Be careful. You're not meant to be running" Maria pointed out as they disappeared upstairs before she sat down on the sofa
"You gave them a specific time to bath?" Gabriel asked with a raised brow "I'm impressed"
"Studies show that if you teach a child a good habit, continuously, they'll grow into it" Maria said "I might be teaching them now, but when I'm no longer needed in this house, they'll continue doing it"
"Aren't you meant to supervise them?" Gabriel asked
"They already know how to bath themselves" Maria said as she went through her phone before landing on her contacts. Before she could even go through her contacts, she noticed Maid Alina walking by with a suitcase "Are you heading out?" she asked
"Miss Maria, it seems like you'll be the only one in the house with the kids" Maid Alina said "I've just been dispatched and the chef is currently being punished for his rudeness earlier. Butler Frank won't be returning until tomorrow"
'I thought as much' Gabriel thought 'Nobody is allowed to go against Maria when she takes the seat as the second madam of the house. That's probably the rule Mark set'
"I see" Maria let out "But before you go on your mission, can you help me with something?"
"That's unusual. You never ask for anything" Maid Alina said
"Well, Mark dropped me off here and told me he was going on a two week trip with Vivian. I didn't have time to prepare the clothes I'll be wearing during that time" Maria explained "I was just about to call Helen so she could prepare the clothes. So I wanted to know if you could help me deliver them here"
"Sure" Maid Alina said "I'll help you deliver them here"
"Thank you" Maria said and Maid Alina bowed before leaving the house "That's one solution to one of my problems. All that's left is to inform Helen"
"Did you just say that Mark are Vivian won't be around for two weeks?" Gabriel asked
"Yes. He must have forgotten to tell you" Maria said "Apparently, something important came up, and most of the maids and butlers were also dispatched. Someone needed to watch over the kids during the time that almost everyone were gone"
"So you're not leaving?" Gabriel asked
"Yeah" Maria said as her phone began to buzz in her hand "Sorry" she said as she picked the call and put it next to her ear
"Maria!!!" was shouted through the phone and Maria had to move the phone away
"Helen, you don't need to shout" Maria said
"Mark had to call me and tell me he was leaving town for a while with Vivian" Helen continued to shout "Why didn't you call me earlier and tell me? I'm currently stuffing the clothes you'll wear in a suitcase"
"I was busy" Maria explained "And it happened unexpectedly"
"Should I come over and stay with you?" Helen asked and Maria glanced at Gabriel
"You...wouldn't want to be here" Maria said "Plus, don't you have work to prepare for"
"Thanks for reminding me" Helen said as there was a zipping sound over the phone "I've got a splendid idea on what to do about the meals the people at the department will be taking"
'Is she still going on about reviving the fashion department? Someone like her?' Gabriel thought
"And Là Cafe was were my brain led me to. There's a shop on the business street where Wayne Corp is located. That shop is huge and on sale plus, it's next to you know who's shop"
"Annalise's delicious pies" Maria said "Wait a second doesn't that mean..."
"Yep. That woman's former job was at Wayne Corp as the assistant to the director of food and nutrition" Helen explained "Many people from the company still visit her shop and since she's dating the manager of Là Cafe, it's like playing cupid. Plus, she owes you and I, a favor"
"You're finally using that valedictorian sense you acquired back at school" Maria said
"Even though I was always two marks behind you" Helen giggled as she started rolling the suitcase to the entrance door "Anyways, I wanted to ask for your phone book. I just realized that a lot of people who owe us, gave us their numbers"
"It's in the drawer of the nightstand" Maria said
"Thank you" Helen said
"Oh yeah, Vivian got us pastries. You'll come try them tomorrow, right?" Maria asked
"Sure and lastly, Mr Ice, I know you're there thinking badly of me. Remember my warning about Maria....if she cries because of you doing something to her, I'll kill you" Helen said in the sweetest voice ever
'According to Maria, and from what I've seen at Red Shoe, this woman isn't just a dog that barks' Gabriel thought
"Aunty" the twins said as they jumped on the sofa and grabbed Maria's phone from her before putting it on speaker
"Uh...this is surprising" Helen said
"You didn't introduce yourself properly" Cia said
"And you left pretty early on Saturday" Dan said
"Dan and Cia, right?" Helen asked
"Right" the twins answered
"I'll bring something for you kids when I come tomorrow. I'll also properly introduce myself then" Helen said sweetly "I'm busy right now. I need to plan how I'm going to attack your icy godfather at his own company"
The twins giggled "Good luck" they both said
"Thanks" Helen said and there was a knocking sound over the phone "Oh. It seems like someone finally came to pick up your suitcase, Maria. Bye" she added as she cut the call
"I thought your savage friend didn't know how to act around children" Gabriel commented and Maria's brows furrowed
"At least she knows how to control her emotions in front of children and doesn't lash out...unlike you" Maria said calmly and Gabriel's crossed arms, tightened for a second as his gaze deepened on her
"Uncle Gabriel, stop fighting with our Aunty" Cia said and Gabriel let out a sigh
"You two stay here with Gabriel. I'll go give Kali a bath" Maria said as she stood up from the sofa and headed upstairs
"Okay" the twins said as she disappeared upstairs and they turned their attention to Gabriel
"Uncle, can we play a game?" Dan asked and Gabriel sat up
"What type of game?" Gabriel asked
"Good. I'll go bring it" Dan said
'These kids don't care about my opinion...just like their parents' Gabriel thought as the twins went upstairs and came back five minutes later with a chessboard, a timer and chess pieces. They set it down on the center table and looked at Gabriel with a smile
"This is what we're playing" Dan said as he sat on the floor
"Do you even know how to play chess?" Gabriel asked with a smile "A serious and complicated game?"
"You'll find out when we start playing" Dan said and Cia arranged the pieces on the board before placing the timer on the table
"All set" Cia said and Gabriel took a glace at the board which was arranged in the correct order "Who's white and who's black?"
"I'll be black. Since I'm entertaining you kids, I'll let Dan start first" Gabriel said before sitting on the floor
"Dan, are you alright with that?" Cia asked
"Sure" Dan said "Even if he had chosen white, I'd still win"
"That's big talk, little man" Gabriel said "You just made me want to play seriously"
"Begin" Cia said and the two started playing
At first, Gabriel was just playing to lose but when Dan started playing like a pro, he decided to change his strategy. And seven minutes into the game, Gabriel was pushed to a corner and he had to look at Dan
"When did you learn how to play like this?" Gabriel asked
"Well, dad is registering me and Cia at a school in September, as transfer students. We're to take the entrance exams in August and select which clubs we'd like to join" Dan said as he moved another piece
"We couldn't decide on a club so we tricked Aunty Maria so she'd teach us stuff that each of the clubs are doing" Cia said
"The club we find fun out of the others, is the one we'll join" Dan said as Gabriel moved another piece "Just so you know, other than Aunty Maria, nobody has been able to beat us in a game of chess. Even dad and Butler Frank were shocked when they lost" as soon as Dan set down another piece, his exact words were "Check"
'So, Maria's intelligence level is above mine and Helen is only two marks lower if I'm to measure their knowledge by academic standards. Meaning, both women play dumb so as not to make others notice them' Gabriel thought 'No wonder Mark wasn't afraid to let Helen take over the fashion department'
"Checkmate" Dan said and Gabriel chuckled
"To think I lost to a kid" Gabriel said as he rubbed Dan's head "You really inherited the smarts of your family" he noticed a stare on his head and looked to the side and saw Maria in a bathrobe leaning over the stair railings
Her wet hair slightly stuck to her face and the water dripping down her body made her look alluring. To top it off, she had a peaceful smile on her face.
"Sorry for staring. I just found it cute" Maria said as she moved down the stairs and sat on the sofa in the living area "Who would have thought an ice sculpture had such an expression"
"Why aren't you wearing actual clothes?" Gabriel asked as he looked away
"When I was bathing Kali, she suddenly pooped on me" Maria said as she picked up her phone "I also had to take a bath and dump my clothes for laundry"
"I see" Gabriel said as he glanced at her wrists. The red marks that were there before, were now wrapped in clean bandages. 'Her skin is so fair, that it's easy for it to show signs of it being hurt' he thought as Maria crossed her legs and messed with her phone
"Kids, if you're done playing chess, I suggest you pack it up" Maria said while taking her eyes off her phone
"Oops" the twins let out as they packed up the chess pieces and headed upstairs
Gabriel got up from the floor and sat next to Maria. She was clearly ignoring him again so, he took her left hand and moved the sleeve of the bathrobe up
"What do you think you're doing?" Maria asked as he took a long glance at her wrist
"Does this still hurt? I don't think you're meant to casually move things in the state it's currently in" Gabriel said
"Have you forgotten whose fault it was...that they're in a worse condition than last time?" Maria mumbled as she looked away from him "Plus, I'm not a weak woman. Something like that, I can handle"
Gabriel frowned at her words as his gaze touched every part of her before landing on her face "You should take care of yourself more. You have a pretty face and a body to go with it" he smirked, then let go of her hand and got out of his seat "I need to take a shower" he said as he went upstairs and Maria could only stare at his retreating figure until he was gone
She looked down at her hands and noticed she wasn't trembling like last time
'That's the second time he gazed at me like that. But, my body didn't react like before' Maria thought as she rubbed her right hand on her left wrist 'I no longer tremble in fear when he stares at me' just then, she heard a knock on the entrance door and got out of the seat. When she opened the door, she could already see a car leaving the compound but at the door was her suitcase.
"Thank you" Maria shouted as she took the suitcase in and locked the door behind her.