Chapter 10. The Game Begins
Maria woke up feeling unusually lively on a Saturday morning. Without much thought, she made her way straight to the kitchen, where Bernard’s mother was cooking.
Though there were maids in the house, Bernard’s mother preferred to prepare meals for her family herself.
Hearing footsteps behind her, she instinctively turned to see who it was. To her surprise, it was Maria approaching.
She froze for a moment, watching the young woman with an unreadable expression, her hands pausing mid-task.
Maria walked closer, breaking the silence with an enthusiastic, "Good morning, ma’am!"
Bernard’s mother simply nodded in response, still staring at Maria with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. It was clear she was trying to make sense of the sudden change.
Because Maria had never once set foot in the kitchen since she arrived at the house. Taking a deep breath, Maria spoke again.
"I know I’ve been arrogant and foolish all this while. Maybe it’s because of what happened to my parents... but I want to apologize for my behavior. Please forgive me, ma’am." Her voice carried a convincing tone of sincerity.
Victoria didn’t look convinced yet. Given her nature, she wasn’t the type to fall easily for kind words, so she decided to probe further.
"What suddenly changed your mind? And when did I ever complain about your attitude?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Maria suddenly lowered her gaze slightly, as if humbled.