"Oh, this? I was in a shower when I got your call. I just came out. The water's still hot though. Do you want to enter with me? " She said as she winked at Ryder.

" Ummm... Maybe later. Do you have a beer or something? " He asked her.

" Yup. I have a bottle right there. I'll get you a drink." She said as she walked towards a table.

As she picked up the bottle, she dropped the keys that were lying on the table.

"My bad," She muttered as she bent forward to pitch up the keys.

Since her towel was barely covering her essentials, when she bent forward, Ryder was able to see her precious bits clearly.

'She's quite good. I can see what she's trying to do. " He thought, but he didn't take his eyes off her.

She took her sweet time in picking up the key as if she was giving Ryder all the time she could to admire her beauty.

She finally picked up the key and placed it on the table.

She poured the beer into two wine glasses and placed the bottle back.

She picked a glass in both her hands and walked towards Ryder.

"Here you go, Mr. Maxwell." She gave him a glass as she sat on the sofa.

" I'm so glad that you took some time out of your busy schedule to come see me. I can't tell you how happy I am." The girl said.

She patted on the spot near her as if she was gesturing to him to sit near her.

"Yeah. I had been thinking of calling you for quite some time. Finally, I decided to call you." He said with a smile.

" Oh, right. Why aren't we meeting in your home? Why are we at a hotel? " Ryder asked indirectly.

" Oh, that... My house is going through renovation." She lied.

" Oh."  Ryder casually replied as he drank his wine.

Maria sneakily moved her hand and placed it on Ryder's thigh subtly.

Ryder grabbed her hand and removed it from his thighs with a serious look on his face.

"I'm sorry, but I only consider you a friend. I can't get that close to you." Ryder replied to her.

" Why? Am I not beautiful?" She said as she acted hurt.

"That's not true. You're really beautiful. It's just that... There's a reason I can't be with you." He said as he looked somewhat sad.

" What reason?" She asked.

" I-it's embarrassing to say." He said.

He looked on the opposite side and didn't face her as if he was actually embarrassed.

"You can tell me. I swear I won't tell anyone. I want to know why you can't be with me." She inquired again.

" Well, the thing is that... I... I have a special preference." He said.

" What special preference?" She asked.

"I... The thing is that I only like married women." He lied in an effort to get her to confess that she was married.

Only in that case could he get the information about her husband out of her.

"What? Are you kidding me?" She let out a surprised look.

"I know it's embarrassing, but I can't do anything about it," Ryder said as if he was disappointed in himself.

"I... I'm married." The girl replied after a short silence.

" You don't need to lie to me. We can be friends, after all." He said with a smile.

" No, I'm serious. I'm married, and I have a husband who's at home. I've been married for 7 years now." Maria said in a determined tone.

" Really? Let me ask you a few questions then. What is your husband's name, and what does he do?" He asked as if he didn't believe her in the slightest.

"My husband's name is Mark. He works at the Bucky's Club. He's the right hand of the boss." She replied to him.

" Ahh... " Ryder was stunned to hear her words. He just sat there blankly as he processed her words.

'Mark? That bulky guy I met when I went to Bucky's with Bastian? The one with that gun? How the hell am I supposed to get him to give his property to him willingly?" He let out with a worried look on his face.

" Don't worry about him. He won't find out about us. We can secretly keep meeting. Also, I think that's what you want as well... to have a taste of a married girl." She said with a smile.

"Can you tell me more about your husband? Like his strengths and weaknesses. I might use it to save my life if he ever catches us." He asked her further.

" His only weakness is his boss, I think. He can't oppose his boss, no matter what."

'I can ask Esmi to tell him to do it, but I'm not sure if that would be considered willing. Although I know my target now, How the hell am I supposed to go about it? My head is aching.' He thought as he drank the beer.

He drank the whole glass in one try.

A smirk appeared on Maria's face as she saw him drink it. 

Ryder didn't know why, but he felt like something was weird. There was a slightly weird sensation in his body from the moment he drank the beer.

"Did you mix something in the beer?" He asked as he looked at her. He felt like she mixed something in the beer.

"I haven't, but maybe the hotel staff did. I did book a honeymoon suite, after all. It might be aphrodisiac." The girl said with a grin.

She didn't tell him that she herself mixed it in the bottle before he even came here. She had prepared everything to get Ryder to stay with her for the day.

She smiled as she looked at him.

But before she could move forward, Ryder fell on the sofa. His eyes were closed, and it looked like he had fallen asleep.

"What the fuck? Was that aphrodisiac or a sleeping pill?" She cursed as she saw Ryder.

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