Maria stepped slowly and demurely into the living room, balancing a tray of freshly baked cookies in her hands. The smell of sugar and butter wafted through the air as she moved, careful not to drop anything. Her light brown hair, straight and silky, brushed against her shoulders as she glanced toward the couch where {{user}} sat—Tom’s friend. Or rather, Tom’s delinquent friend. She couldn’t help but feel a bit tense around him. He always seemed like trouble. But it wasn’t her place to say anything. No, no... she just had to be the polite, doting housewife she’d become. As she approached, she sensed something. Her skin prickled with awareness, the slight shift in the air pressing against her composure. {{user}} gaze—it was on her, as if he knew something she didn't. Maria held back a small sigh, lowering the tray onto the coffee table in front of {{user}}. She could feel his eyes trailing over her figure—whether just a passing glance or something more, she wasn’t sure. But it made her cheeks warm. "I made some cookies for you both," she said softly, her voice carrying that motherly warmth she had perfected over the years. Her accent gave the words a gentle rhythm, though there was a tiny tremble to it. She kept her smile in place, glancing at {{user}} briefly before shifting her gaze to the tray—anything to avoid meeting his eyes for too long. "I thought you might like a little snack." There was a pause. She could still feel it—his gaze lingering on her longer than it should have. It made her throat tighten, a slight pang of discomfort swirling in her stomach. Maria straightened up quickly, clasping her hands together as if preparing to leave the room. But something—some odd curiosity—kept her rooted in place for a moment longer. She spoke again with the faintest hint of awkwardness creeping into her tone. "Is there... anything else you boys need?" she knew this boy was trouble, the type of man she would often mingle with back in her glory days, but not anymore. She's a devoted wife and mother, which is precisely why she knows she has to keep her distance from men like {{user}}

Maria frowned, momentarily thrown off by the nickname. "Oh... Parth," she stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she struggled to remember using such an informal form of address. She took a step back, feeling uncertain and out of place. "Well, I don't want to interrupt your time with Tom," she said quickly, looking anywhere but at him as she spoke.

Her gaze drifted absently around the room, noticing tiny details that had been forgotten or left unattended. "I can always clean something else... if you need help with anything." She offered hesitantly, unsure if it would be appropriate given their age difference and his rough exterior.

The mention of her dancing and cooking skills brought a blush to Maria's cheeks. She could feel herself becoming self-conscious, unsure if she should accept the compliments or shrug them off modestly. "Well," she said with a small laugh, "I've always tried my best to take care of Tom. It was important to me that he had someone there for him... especially after..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced away, unwilling to finish the thought.

She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. She didn't like the way Parth was looking at her—like he knew something about her past that she wanted to keep hidden. It made her feel exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn't experienced since leaving her old life behind.

Her cheeks flushed even deeper at the mention of her past. Maria's gaze shifted away, focused on anything but him as she said softly, "I... I prefer not to talk about that time." She swallowed hard, feeling the urge to change the subject. "So," she began brightly, trying to sound casual, "what are you two planning on doing tonight?"

Her hands fidgeted nervously at her side as she waited for him to respond, hoping he would take the hint and let it drop. But a part of her was scared that he already knew too much... or worse, didn't know enough. The thought alone sent shivers down her spine.

"Well," Maria began carefully, not quite sure how to respond, "I'm always here if you need anything." She moved a little closer to the coffee table, hoping that it would make him more comfortable and less likely to press her for information about her past. Her heart raced as she waited for his reply, unable to shake the feeling that she was walking on eggshells around him.

The silence stretched between them, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts until finally Tom excused himself, leaving the room to attend to whatever business had brought him home. As soon as he disappeared from view, Maria let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Maria's cheeks flushed once more at the mention of her cooking skills. She was never sure how to react when someone talked about her past life so casually, but she forced a smile and said "Well, I've always enjoyed making people happy with my food. It's something I can give back to Tom for everything he's done." Her voice trailed off as she leaned against the coffee table, unable to meet his gaze directly.

A part of her wished he would just drop it already. The memories flooded back, making her feel uncomfortable and self-conscious in a way she hadn't experienced in years. But at the same time, there was an odd fascination about him that kept drawing her in... like he knew something nobody else did.

The question caught her off guard, and she paused for a moment before answering. "I... I don't know," she stammered. "Maybe it was both. Dancing has always been a big part of my life too. It's how I express myself." She forced another small smile, trying to make light of the situation but feeling anything but calm on the inside.

Her gaze drifted away from him again, focusing intently on something in the distance as she struggled to maintain her composure. The memory of her past life seemed to loom over her like a dark cloud, and she couldn't help but feel ashamed for what she had done... or at least, what people thought she had done.

Her heart raced as she considered his question, unsure how to respond honestly without revealing more than she wanted to. "I... I don't know," she managed finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe it was just the way people saw me, you know? They thought I was having fun and living my life to the fullest." She shrugged delicately, not meeting his gaze. "But that wasn't everything. There were... things I did that weren't so nice."

Her cheeks flushed crimson as she admitted this much, hating the way it made her feel exposed and ashamed once more. She longed for the days when she could forget about her past life entirely, but every time someone brought it up, those memories came flooding back, drowning out everything else in a sea of guilt and regret.

Her eyes widened in shock as she turned to face him, her breath catching in her throat. "Wha-what do you mean?" she stammered, feeling a surge of panic rush through her. She had always feared someone would discover the truth about her past, but now that it seemed to be happening... it was worse than anything she could have imagined.

Her heart raced wildly in her chest as he continued to look at her with those knowing eyes, and she couldn't help but feel trapped by his gaze. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving them alone together in a tiny bubble where everything they'd hidden away for years was laid bare for him to see. "Please," she whispered hoarsely, "you can't tell anyone about this... please..."

The news struck her like a physical blow, and Maria felt the air rush out of her lungs. She stared at him in horror, unable to speak or move as he calmly informed her that he had found the evidence of her past life. Her face burned with shame, and she felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. "No... please..." she stammered weakly, searching his features for any sign of mercy.

But there was none to be found; if anything, his expression seemed almost triumphant. As she stood there, frozen in terror and disbelief, she felt as though the world had shifted beneath her feet. Everything she had worked so hard to forget came flooding back, drowning out every hope she'd held onto since leaving that life behind. "Please..." she whispered again, her voice barely more than a ragged breath. "You can't tell anyone...

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she slowly shook her head in disbelief. "I... I don't know what to say..." Her voice sounded small and weak, barely audible over the thundering of her heart. She wished she could deny it all, but she knew better than anyone how futile that would be.

Her gaze drifted away from him, searching for anything else in the room to focus on besides the knowledge that he now held over her head. It was as though a part of her had died inside, replaced by this new sense of shame and horror at what she'd once been. "I-I don't know... just please, don't tell anyone..." She forced a shaky smile, willing herself not to break down completely in front of him.

"I'm... grateful," Maria managed to say through her tears. "For your understanding, and for promising not to tell anyone else." She swallowed hard, feeling the lump in her throat as she struggled to maintain composure. "You don't know what this means to me..."

Her voice trailed off, and she blinked back more tears as she stared down at her lap, unable to meet his gaze once more. She knew that he held all the cards now; he could ruin everything she had worked so hard for if he chose to do so. But somehow, just having him say those words... promising not to hurt her... it made her feel a tiny bit less alone in this world.

"Anything," she whispered softly, feeling her heart race at the thought of losing everything all over again. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family from this. I'll make sure Tom never finds out; you have my word on that." Her voice trembled with sincerity as she looked up finally, meeting his eyes directly for the first time since he revealed her secret.

There was desperation in her gaze, and a hint of fear too. But there was also determination, as if she would move heaven and earth itself to keep this hidden away forever. She held his stare for a long moment before finally looking away again, unable to bear the weight of what they were discussing any longer.