After Diego's meeting, he slid into the back seat of the car with a huff, clearly still reeling from the morning's confrontation. Lucia, keeping her calm exterior, started driving without a word. The air between them was thick with unresolved tension.
Halfway through the drive, Lucia found herself glancing at Diego through the rearview mirror, her eyes lingering on him. Her thoughts raced, still caught in the storm of emotions from earlier.
"Why are you staring at me?" Diego asked abruptly, his voice breaking the silence.
Lucia, unbothered, tilted her head slightly. "Thought you wanted to say something to me," she responded, her tone calm but laced with subtle defiance.
"If I needed to say something, I'd let you know," he said curtly. After a pause, his eyes swept over her outfit with a disapproving look. "And by the way, why are you dressed like that?"
Lucia's eyes hardened slightly, but she kept her tone neutral. "It's what I have, sir. It's what I'm wearing."
Diego shook his head. "I'll get you a uniform. You won't wear this anymore when driving me to the office."
Lucia bit back the sharp retort that threatened to escape, keeping her face emotionless. "Whatever you say, sir," she replied coolly. In her mind, though, the words screamed: You bastard. Cheating scumbag.
A silence fell between them again, thick and uncomfortable. Diego pulled out his phone, scrolling aimlessly, then suddenly said, "Give me your contact."
Lucia's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You have it, sir. You employed me—why wouldn't you have my contact?"
Diego paused for a moment, realizing the truth in her words. He glanced at her through the rearview mirror, looking momentarily lost, then back down at his phone. He scrolled through his contacts and found what he was looking for: New Driver. He didn't respond, just shook his head slightly, irritated that he had forgotten.
As they arrived at Diego's apartment, he got out of the car without saying a word to her, the tension between them still hanging in the air like a cloud.
Lucia parked the car and handed the keys to Andre at the gate, who had clearly been waiting for her. His face broke into an amused smile as she approached.
"No one's ever stood up to Mr. Mendoza like you did today," Andre said, his voice filled with admiration.
Lucia smiled faintly, brushing off the compliment. "Well, someone has done that now," she said simply, handing him the keys.
Andre chuckled softly as she walked past him. Lucia's face hardened again as she stepped away, already thinking ahead. She wasn't done with Diego, not by a long shot. The game was far from over.
Later that night, Lucia returned to her hotel room, her mind still swirling with the events of the day. She had been holding onto her composure, but now that she was alone, the weight of everything hit her. She needed something to take the edge off.
Lucia picked up the phone by the bed and dialed the hotel bar number. "Hello, I'm Lucia calling from room 543," she said calmly, leaning back into the plush chair.
"Yes, ma'am. How can I assist you?" came the polite response from the assistant on the other end.
"I need a red wine," Lucia requested, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of tension.
"Okay, ma'am. I'll be with you soon," the assistant replied.
She hung up the phone and exhaled slowly, trying to ease the frustration building up inside her. A few minutes passed before a knock on the door signaled the arrival of the wine. Lucia opened the door to find the bar assistant holding a tray with a bottle of red wine and a glass.
"Thank you," she said softly, taking the tray from the assistant and closing the door behind her. She set the tray down on the small table, poured herself a glass, and sank into the chair, the wine swirling gently in the glass as she raised it to her lips.
As she took a sip, her phone buzzed loudly on the table. She glanced at the screen—Diego was calling. Her eyes narrowed in irritation. Without a second thought, she ignored the call, taking another sip of her wine. Moments later, the phone buzzed again. Diego was persistent, calling her back repeatedly. But each time, Lucia let the call ring out, refusing to answer.
She stared at the phone as it vibrated one more time, her hand tightening around the glass of wine. This is just the beginning, she thought to herself, a slow, determined smile creeping across her face. She wasn't going to let Diego off the hook easily, and ignoring his calls was just the first step.
Lucia raised her glass in a quiet toast to herself. She had control now, and she was going to make sure Diego knew it.
At Diego's apartment, frustration gnawed at him. He paced back and forth, glancing at his phone every few seconds, waiting for Lucia to answer. His calls went unanswered, one after the other.
"Lucia, pick up. What's going on?" he muttered to himself, the worry in his voice growing with each passing minute.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Lucia took another slow sip of her wine, glancing at the phone as it vibrated on the table, Diego's name flashing across the screen again. With a small, satisfied smile, she ignored it. As soon as his calls stopped, another came in, but this time it was Ivy.
Lucia picked up, her tone light and teasing. "Hey, babes. What's up?"
Ivy's voice was full of energy. "Celebrating every little victory, I hope!"
Lucia chuckled, swirling the wine in her glass. "You bet. No more tears or sadness. It's action time from now on."
Ivy's laugh echoed on the other end. "That's the spirit! No man is gonna make you cry ever again."
Lucia leaned back, her voice growing more resolute. "Exactly. But do you think it's just some kind of habit they can't stop?"
Ivy paused, then replied thoughtfully, "Maybe it is, but I don't care what it is. Cheating isn't just some bad habit. Men do it to hurt us, to destroy beautiful things. They think they can get away with it."
Lucia's voice hardened as she spoke, her words tinged with bitterness. "I know. They don't realize how much damage they cause. But no more. I'm done being hurt."
"Lucia, listen," Ivy said, her tone softening. "I need you to understand that no one's flawless. Everyone has their flaws, and everyone has bad habits. Sometimes it takes someone special coming into their life to change them. This might be your chance with Diego."
Lucia snorted, taking another sip of her wine. "He's been calling, but I'm not picking up. I want him to feel it. Just for one day, I want to know how he looks and feels when he can't talk to me."
Ivy sighed. "Don't be too hard on him, girl. Are you sure about this plan?"
"Yes," Lucia replied confidently. "One hundred percent sure. Trust me, Ivy. After everything he did to me, I need to do this. I need to see if he even cares, if he feels anything when I'm not there."
There was a brief silence before Ivy spoke again, her tone thoughtful. "Well, if you're sure, I've got your back. But just remember, it's a dangerous game. Sometimes people don't respond the way we expect them to."
Lucia waved off Ivy's concern, her voice firm. "I know exactly what I'm doing. He'll come around. And when he does, I'll be ready."
The conversation soon shifted away from Diego as the two friends shared laughs, talking about lighthearted things until it was time to call it a night. But even as the laughter faded and the call ended, Lucia couldn't shake the feeling that she was in control now. For the first time in a long time, she felt powerful, and she wasn't going to let that go easily.