Lucas stumbled out of the study.
As he staggered through the empty halls of the Russo mansion, he called out for Maya, his voice echoing off the walls.
But there was no answer.
Lucas collapsed onto the stairs, his head in his hands as he sobbed uncontrollably.
"Maya..Maya.." he whispered, his voice shaking with despair.
The whiskey had taken its toll, and Lucas's emotions had finally caught up with him.
He was a broken man, shattered by his own mistakes and the loss of the woman he loved.
He knew he had to find her, to tell her how much he loved her, and to beg her for forgiveness.
But for now, he was alone, lost in his sorrow.
Just then, two burly guards appeared, summoned by the sound of their master's distress.
They found Lucas on the floor, his clothes disheveled, his eyes red-rimmed from tears.
With a gentle firmness, the guards lifted him off the stairs and carried him to his bedroom.
They laid him down on the bed, removing his shoes and loosening his collar.
As they stepped back, the guards exchanged knowing glances, their voices barely above a whisper.
"He's gone back to his old ways, hasn't he?" one of them said shaking his head.
"Remember how he was at the beginning of his relationship with Gia? The drinking, the parties…he thought he was above it all."
The other guard nodded in agreement. "But then Madam Maya came along, and for a while, we thought she'd changed him. He seemed..different. More grounded and more focused"
The first guard snorted. "Guess that was just a facade. Now that she's gone, he's reverted back to his old self. Drinking away his sorrows like he used to."
The second guard frowned. "It's a shame really. We thought Maya was good for him. She brought out a side of him we'd never seen before."
The first guard nodded. "Yes, but I guess some people can't change. Lucas is still the same person he's always been - reckless, selfish and unable to let go of his demons."
They both slipped out of the room, leaving Lucas to his sorrow.
In the silence, Lucas's whisper grew fainter, until all that was left was the soft murmur of Maya's name.
A testament to the love that still lingered in his heart.
Isabella quietly entered Lucas's bedroom, her eyes scanning the dimly lit space until they landed on his slumbering form.
She approached him cautiously, noticing the empty whiskey bottles and glasses by the door.
As she drew closer, she wrinkled her nose in distaste, covering it with her hand. The pungent smell of alcohol hung heavy in the air, mingling with the stench of sweat.
Isabella's thoughts swirled with confusion and concern as she gazed at her brother's troubled form.
She couldn't understand why Lucas, once so strong and resilient, had become so utterly consumed by his love for Maya.
"What happened to you Lucas?" she whispered, shaking her head. "You were always the smart one, but now…you are just a shadow of yourself."
Isabella's gaze lingered on Lucas, and for a moment, she felt a pang of pity for her brother. She saw the brokenness in him.
But she quickly suppressed the feeling, reminding herself that Lucas had made his choices.
"It's not my problem," Isabella thought to herself. "He's made his bed, now he must lie in it."
And besides, she knew Gia would be back soon. The two of them had planned it, after all.
Gia would be back soon and Lucas would fall back into her arms. She smiled to herself, a cold, calculated smile.
Isabella's mind turned to Maya, wondering where she could have gone.
Her fingers moved swiftly as she scrolled through her contacts, her eyes scanning the list until she found the one she was looking for.
She pressed the dial button and her eyes narrowed as she waited for the person on the other end of the line to respond.
The phone rang several times before a raspy voice answered. "Hello Miss Bella."
"The next time I call,Chad, do not hesitate to pick up, okay?!"
"Yes ma'am."
"Are you doing your job properly?" she asked, her voice firm and commanding.
"I haven't seen Maya around. I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye on her."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Isabella wondered if she had a mistake in trusting this person.
But then the voice spoke up, reassuring her.
"Yes, Miss Isabella. I'm doing a good job. Maya..is being taken care of. She's on her way home."
Isabella's gaze lingered on Lucas's form, still sleeping off his drunkenness.
"See that everything goes smoothly." she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I have plans for her, and I won't have them ruined."
The voice on the other end of the line agreed and Isabella hung up, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
Maya slipped through the shadows, her eyes scanning the dimly lit hallways of the Russo mansion.
She had been gone for hours, and now she was back at midnight and she knew she had to be careful. She didn't want to be seen coming home late.
She clutched her heels in one hand, her bare feet making barely a sound on the cold marble floor.
Her hair was roughed up, and her shirt's top button was ripped, a testament to the tumultuous night she had just had.
Maya's heart raced as she crept deeper into the mansion, avoiding the guards and the prying eyes of the staff.
As she turned a corner, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the darkness. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was Madam Rochelle.
Madam Rochelle's voice was stern, but her eyes squinted in confusion.
"Who's there? I know someone's there, I saw a shadow."
Maya held her breath, frozen in place. She knew Madam Rochelle's eyesight was poor without glasses, and she hoped to use that to her advantage.