"This isn’t over," Valerie muttered through clenched teeth as they exited the lobby, "Not by a long shot."
She had freed her arm from Nina’s grip and was now storming out of the building. Nina who was getting breathless while trying to keep up with her daughter-in-law, at last, reached her and grabbed her blouse.
"Can you stop for once? For God’s sake, Valerie," she said trying to regulate her panting. She might be a fit-looking woman, but she always kept her focus on good food.
She had never exercised a day in her life, not even taken a walk.
Valerie had halted in her steps but wasn’t turning around to face Nina. Holding her elbow, Nina was trying to control her rugged breathing.
Valerie’s shoulders were stiff, and Nina was doubtful that she might start crying again.
"You need to get a grip on your emotions, Val," she rounded her to face her. Thankfully, she wasn’t being a ’sob baby’ anymore.
"Nina..." Valerie didn’t say anything else.
"I know. Ok? I know. Yet it’s our mistake, Val. We didn’t keep the tabs on him or Marissa. We don’t know for how long they have been together. It will take time to win him over."
Valerie couldn’t digest it. Win him over?
There was a time when Rafael used to be after her to win her heart. Now she needed to run after him to win him over. What kind of joke it was?
"Don’t worry," Nina said with a sad smile, "Marissa is responsible for all this."
When she said that, Valerie thought she might get a heart attack. She held Nina’s hand in panic. Nina observed her face which was dangerously pale.
Her hand was also too cold.
"Valerie!" Nina got scared, "What is happening to you?"
"Nina," Valerie’s voice was barely above a whisper, "Wh-what if... what if Marissa is with him? Right now... she might be accompanying him..."
Nina paused for a moment with a frown and then cracked up.
Valerie thought the poor woman had lost her mind. She was laughing like crazy.
"Are you ok, Valerie," Nina asked her while controlling her mirth, "Marissa staying with Rafael? You must be nuts! It’s another thing to work for my son but spending time in bed with him doesn’t require good cooking, Valerie. Now let’s go back inside and have something from one of their restaurants. It’s open to the public, and nobody will dare to stop us from going there."
"B-but..." Nina didn’t let her finish and started dragging her back into the building.
"We can discuss it later. Now move, Valerie."
***
Valerie tried to suppress the burp after finishing her dinner. Instead of getting out of the hotel, Nina suggested to have dinner here.
Their restaurants were classy especially this Chinese restaurant was one of their popular ones.
Nina was right when she brought her back. She thought that Valerie was hungry that was why she was being emotional.
"Then?" Valerie raised her hand questioningly, "What’s next? To find a guy who can take us to Rafael?"
"Yeah," Nina snapped her fingers, "Someone from the cleaning staff, who has got access to the rooms, especially to Rafael’s suite. Once we are inside, we are good to go. Of course, he won’t kick us out once we are there."
Nina had a point.
Valerie didn’t want to do it tonight. She was dead tired. But the expected presence of Marissa was forcing her to go ahead and do it.
Maybe if she could sleep with Rafael tonight, she could enter the MSin building tomorrow showing everyone including Marissa that she still owned Rafael Sinclair. That they were still a couple.
"OK. You go ahead," Valerie got up, "till then I would like to visit the bathroom," Nina nodded at her and motioned a waiter to bring the bill.
***
Valerie stood in front of the mirror carefully adjusting her hair.
"I need to keep my fingers crossed to reach Raphael’s suite," she told her image and started applying the lip color.
She might not be looking her best, but she wanted to make some effort for him. She sprayed some perfume on herself and examined her reflection.
"I need to remind myself that I’m more beautiful than Marissa. There is simply no comparison."
As she leaned over to look at her face closely in the mirror, the door behind her swung open, and a young woman, probably in her early twenties, strutted in.
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