Maria fidgets with her finger in pure anticipation. She doesn't know what she had decided to do would change anything or not – or if it will only make things difficult for Silas and Marcus, but she couldn't just sit in the corner and watch things get worse. From what she has learned from her life is that people often trivialize the power of dialogues. She and Silas made the same mistake before and it ruined her life, she doesn't want that to repeat – especially when they have a child involved in their mess.
Maria decided to take matters into her own hands. She knows that it might upset Silas when he will learn what she did. She heaved a sigh. No, he will be upset when he finds out what Maria has done behind his back, but Maria needs to do something before many lives get ruined. As much as she knows how much her husband hates Sean, she wouldn't want to ruin his life as well. She doesn't know why she has a soft spot for him, maybe because she once knew him, maybe because she knows that Sean's son will be dragged into this mess, or maybe because she is tired of seeing people hurt for her. She doesn't care what the real reason is, but all that matters to her is to make things right – at least try to make them right.
"Maria?" She heard her name being called from behind. She quickly turned her head around to see the familiar eyes winsomely looking at her. Her mouth has gone dry from consternation. She kept on telling herself that this was not a bad idea. That calling Sean to meet her in a small café – far from her house was not a dangerous plan to solve the issue.
There is a reason why Maria decided to invite him to a busy café – she is not taking any chances. She left Ezra with Charlie before she came here. No one knows where she is. She didn't tell Silas. She lied to Charlie as well. It is only she and Sean who know where they are. But Maria has kept a backup plan in case things don't go her way. She just needs to press a key on her phone and an emergency message will be sent to Silas, Marcus, and Charlie along with her location. She just hopes, she doesn't get to use it.
Maria let out a shaky breath – some sweet and sour memories rushed back to her – back when Sean was just Sean, he wasn't a pawn placed by Ruby to play with her. Looking into his eyes – witnessing the familiar smile – she almost misses him. She misses the old regular Sean that she knew – even if that man was a fake – she still misses him. Those fond memories of him were the reason why Maria decided to take this step – if Sean was anything like the man she knew him as – he would never hurt her.
"Sean," Maria replied softly. She doesn't know what else to do. Should she go for a handshake? She is definitely not going to hug him – he is not her friend. Should she ask him to have a seat? Thankfully for her, she didn't have to do anything or say anything to him as Sean softly smiled at her and walked in front of her before taking a seat right across the small round table.
Sean avert his eyes from Maria and looked around to see the café teeming with people having lunch. He is not a dull man, he made sure that he was not being set up by her before he stepped into the café. Only when he saw that there is no security with Maria – like she promised on the phone, did he walk in. Sean couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Maria is a smart girl, she chose a café away from where she lives so that no one from her circle sees her there, but she also chose the busiest of the café to be on the safe side. He likes the way she thought this through.
It also hurt Sean slightly to know that she doesn't feel safe around him, but he doesn't blame him for it. If he is being honest with himself, sometimes he doesn't feel safe with himself. He sighed and looked at her – Maria already had her eyes on him. He could tell that she was nervous, but she was playing it cool. "You are smart," He commented. "You chose a busy place to talk. I would have done the same if I were you," He shrugged with a smile, but received no reaction from her – even then she didn't look away from him.
"But you don't have to worry, Maria. I would never hurt you," He said as he hunched forward and placed his elbow on the table. Maria didn't appreciate the closeness so she slowly leaned against the chair. She put her hands on her lap and held her phone tightly in them. Sean gulped. It hurt him to see her back away like this from him, "I am not a bad man, Maria." Sean whispered – his eyes softened. "You don't have to be so guarded around me. I know you don't have the prettiest picture of me in your head, but I am not a bad person. You just don't know me yet," He stifled the hurt he was feeling.
"And whose mistake is that?" Maria finally spoke – looking dead in his eyes. She didn't blink – nor did she show any emotions to him.
Sean nodded his head and leaned against his chair – removing his hands from the table. He agrees with her there. It is his mistake that Maria never truly knew him – as himself – not as a pawn Ruby ploy in her life. "It is my mistake. I agree with you there." He replied – looking down at his intertwined fingers resting on his lap. "But that can change. We can change that," He emphasized.
Maria sighed, "It is too late for that, Sean. I lost all trust in you the day I came to know who you really were," She answered him. "You were never my friend, Sean. You were doing it all for your own selfish reasons. You were Ruby's puppet." She threw a well-deserved insult at him.
Sean bit the inner part of his lower lip between his teeth. He couldn't ignore the fact that her last comment hurt him, but he chose to ignore it because he also know that it is true. He was just a puppet. "I might have been plotted in your life, but the man you knew as your friend – he was really me, Maria. I have always been real to you." He told her. His words earned him a snigger from her. She doesn't believe him. Sean let out a breath and looked dead in her eyes, "I am not lying to you. I couldn't be fake around you. I don't know what it about you, but even when I was aware of what I was supposed to do – my feelings for you were real – they still are." He pressed upon his words.
Maria blinked as she stared back into his eyes. She feels nothing for him but pity. "I am a married woman, Sean." She reminded him.
"Marriages can end," He replied directly.
Maria clenched her jaws, "I love him," She didn't hesitate. She could see Sean flaring his nostrils at her words, even when she knew that it would only make Sean angrier – she continued, "I love him. I love my husband. I love my Silas. And there is not in this world that can change my mind about it." She insisted. Her eyes soften when she witness the gloss in Sean's eyes, but he refused to speak or look away from her. She heaved a sigh, "Sean, I am happy with him. You need to understand that. I can never be happy with you. If you keep on doing what you are doing – you will not only ruin my life but yours as well, because what you want can never happen. You cannot force someone in or out of lives," She tried to explain.
Sean was still silent. He didn't speak – but kept his eyes fixed on her. "I don't know why you are so persistent about this Sean. I don't know what games you are playing, but I am tired now." She exhaled and glanced at her crutches resting against the table. Sean's eyes followed hers – his gaze softened. "I have enough problems to deal with. And if I am honest with you, for the first time in forever I feel like my life can finally get a taste of normality. Please, don't ruin it for me. Please, let me live in peace." Her voice shook – her eyes glossed – she sounds desperate.
Sean lowered his gaze. Maria could hear him sniffle. He took a moment to collect himself before he looked at her – his eyes pleading to her. "I can give you a better life, Maria. Don't you remember what Silas did to you? He doesn't trust you. He doesn't love you as I do." He tried to explain his point – his eyes got teary. His voice shook as well.
Maria shook her head, "No one gets to decide who can give me a better life, Sean. It is in my hand. Only I can make that decision. I feel happy when I am with him. I know he has made many mistakes – but so did I." She paused and heaved a sigh.
"Sean, I know you are not a bad person. I don't want to hate you. Please, don't make it harder for me. Think about the lives you will ruin if you keep on doing this. Because I can assure you this – even if you snatch me away from Silas – even if you force me to stay away from me – even then I would never love you. Stop this now – please. You don't deserve this. I don't deserve this. You can have a better life without me in it, believe me – you can be so much more happy and content in your life with all the troubles that come with me. I am begging you, Sean. Stop doing this. Don't hurt me and stop hurting yourself," She added softly. A fat tear escaped Sean's eye while her own vision gets blurry. Her heart hurts from him – her herself – for all the troubles that she can't escape.
Back at Silas's office, Marcus watches Silas striding back and forth in the room. His hands were on his waist, his eyebrows knitted, his forehead creased, his jaws clenched, and his heart burning. Marcus had his phone pressed to his ear. He sighed, "No, don't make any move. Just stay around and keep an eye on them. Make sure he doesn't hurt Maria, okay? Just make sure she comes back home safe," Marcus ordered the bodyguard that was smart enough to follow Maria's cab to the café where she was meeting Sean – even when she asked him not to.
He couldn't follow Maria's order as Silas is his employer and he had given him clear instructions – never leave Maria alone when she goes out. He is sure Maria will not appreciate him calling and informing about her meeting with Sean to Silas – but he had to do his job. So, he clicked a picture of them sitting in a busy café – having a conversation and sent it to Silas – asking what he should do. Thankfully, Marcus was present at the time Silas received the picture and the call. He took the matters into his own hand and asked Silas to step back.
Even when Marcus believes that Maria should not have taken such a step without informing anyone, he also believes that they shouldn't complicate the situation by interfering without any reason. Maybe – just maybe Maria had thought this through and she will be able to be safe, if not successful with her plan.
"I can't believe her! How can she be so stupid to go see Sean on her own?! What the fuck was she thinking? I told her that I will handle everything – then why did she have to step in? What if she gets hurt?! Doesn't she know how he threatened to kidnap her?!" Silas furiously kicked the back of the chair that rolled a few feet away.
Marcus wordlessly watched his younger brother throw a tantrum. When Silas first received the information – he was ready to rush to the address to confront them. Just the thought of her being around such a vicious man caused his heart to burst in his chest. If he even lay a finger on her. Silas will kill him – he doesn't care about the consequences. He just wants Maria safe and away from that mental man.
"You are not the boss of her Silas. I am sure she must have thought it through. She would never risk it for anything. And Albert is there, okay? He is keeping an eye on them. God forbid, if he even tries to pull something off – he will take care of everything." Marcus spoke – when he was finally done with his brother's tantrum.
Silas halts and turned to look at his brother, "I can't believe she hid this from me. She is meeting him behind my back!" He tried to reason.
Marcus rolled his eyes, "I can." He shrugged. Silas squinted his eyes at Marcus, but it doesn't bother Marcus, so he continued. "You yourself told me that she suggest the idea of her talking to Sean, but you dismissed it. You didn't even listen to what she planned, Silas, of course – she went behind your back. I would have too if I was her." Marcus replied.
Silas gritted his teeth together and looked away from Marcus. He knows that his brother is correct. He brought this upon himself, but still, he couldn't help but feel hurt. He didn't answer Marcus back. He didn't other because Marcus always takes Maria's side. Even before they were married for the first time, even after they got divorced, even when he again met Maria – Marcus never stopped showing his support to Maria. The two share a weird connection. A fervent bond – that often makes Silas feel uneasy. This is why he was so easily manipulated by his mother.
Marcus gets Maria better, and as ashamed as Silas is to accept it – but he can't deny that he sometimes feels jealous of how well Marcus gets Maria. He calls her his sister and Maria always calls Marcus her brother, but even when Silas knows how innocent and harmless their bonding is – he feels jealous of the two – he always has been. And maybe that is what Ruby picked and played it against Maria. This is why it was easy for her to plot doubts in Silas's mind.
"Just give her the space, Silas. Let her be a part of your life. Stop treating her like a responsibility of yours and start treating her like your equal partner. And for the love of God, don't fight her about this. Have a decent conversation with her when she returns. Let her talk. Let her explain. Please," Marcus asked his brother.
Silas heaved a sigh and closed his eyes tightly. Marcus is right. He is always right. He understands Maria. Silas's shoulder sunk as the horrible thought returned to his mind. Maybe Maria would have been happier if it was Marcus in his place. She would have had a better life with him. Silas opened his eyes and wrinkled his nose at the awful thought that returned in his head. No, stop it, Silas – Maria loves you and Marcus loves Charlie. He needs to stop digging the graves and work to make his relationship with Maria better. He can't let the trash his mother fed his mind back then. It was not true – it never will be. Silas and Maria are meant to be together and so does Marcus and Charlie.