The sheets beneath Denzel were left ruffled as he slowly pushed himself upright, sitting at the edge of the bed for a brief moment

A soft groan escaped his lips as his bare feet touched the cold floor. He rubbed them absentmindedly, letting out a quiet sigh.

’I only came in here because Sophia and I left the dining room together. It had to look believable... like I was actually heading to bed. And if I’m right, she should already be in her room by now.’

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

’Which means... it’s time to strike, isn’t it?’

The thought lingered in his mind as he rose to his feet and made his way toward the door. With careful precision, he eased it open, stepped out into the hallway, and quietly shut it behind him.

The corridor was dim and still, wrapped in the heavy silence of the late hour. At the far end, however, a faint golden glow flickered against the walls. The candlelight spilling from the kitchen was impossible to miss.

That alone told him everything he needed to know.

Maria was still there...exactly where she needed to be.

Without wasting another second, Denzel moved forward, his steps measured and deliberate as he advanced down the hallway.

The closer he got, the clearer the soft glow became, until he finally reached the edge of the corridor and peered around the corner.

The moment his eyes landed on her, he froze.

His gaze was instantly drawn to the sight before him. Maria was bent slightly over the dining table, her body leaning forward as she busied herself clearing away the remaining dishes from the meal they had all shared earlier.

The position left little to the imagination, accentuating the fullness of her figure in a way that made it impossible for his eyes to look elsewhere

Round, heavy, and captivating, the curve of her ass stood out shamelessly beneath the fabric, commanding his full attention as she remained completely unaware of his presence.

’Look at that ass,’ Denzel thought, his gaze lingering for only a moment before he forced himself to look away.

He drew in a slow, measured breath, steadying himself.

’Get a grip. Play this smart, Denzel. Don’t rush it. Think.’

His expression hardened with resolve.

Carefully, he lifted his hand and gently knocked against the wall beside him, producing a soft, deliberate thud that echoed faintly through the quiet hallway.

The reaction was immediate.

Maria stopped what she was doing at once, her body tensing slightly before she turned toward the sound.

A second later, Denzel stepped out from the shadows. His eyes were half-lidded, his face carrying the perfect look of someone who had only just stirred from bed. Every part of his expression was carefully controlled, fitting the sleepy persona he wanted her to see.

The moment Maria recognized him, the tension in her body visibly melted away. She exhaled sharply and placed a hand over her chest.

"Denzel? You’re still awake? You scared me for a second there. I thought you’d already gone back to your room... I was starting to think someone had broken in."

Denzel let out a low chuckle, casually rubbing the back of his neck.

"Huh? Sorry about that."

Then his lips curled into a calm, confident smile.

"Breaking in? Come on. You should know better than that. No one’s getting in here while I’m around. You’re completely safe."

Maria’s face softened at his words, her lips curling into a warm smile.

"Always trying to protect your mother..." she murmured fondly.

As she turned back to the table, Denzel’s eyes instinctively dropped once more, catching the enticing curve of her figure as she leaned forward.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

’That’s right... I am.’

He stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

"Of course I am. If I’m not going to take care of you, then who will?"

He gestured toward the dishes scattered across the table.

"Here. Let me help with that."

Without waiting for permission, he reached for a plate and began helping her clear the table.

Maria glanced sideways at him, a quiet laugh escaping her lips.

"What’s gotten into you tonight? You’re being unusually affectionate."

Denzel arched an eyebrow, feigning confusion.

"What do you mean? I’ve always been like this."

Maria laughed softly, shaking her head.

"No, you haven’t. You’ve always been more... distant. More of your own person." She paused, searching for the right words. "But now? Suddenly you’re so attentive. You care about everyone, you want to help... honestly, it feels like I’m looking at a completely different person."

She fell silent for a moment, her expression softening further.

"But... I think I like this version of you."

Her smile turned playful.

"You’re still my same cute son, though."

As she said it, she reached up and gently pinched his cheek.

The contact made Denzel’s heart quicken.

Slowly, deliberately, he raised his hand and let his fingers brush over hers where it rested against his face.

A smile touched his lips.

"Well... what can I say?" he murmured, his voice low. "I can’t exactly keep myself away from—"

His lips parted, ready to whisper the activation phrase.

And then...

Maria pulled her hand away...the moment was gone.

She turned back toward the table as if nothing had happened, continuing her cleaning without pause.

Denzel froze.

’No contact...?’

His jaw tightened.

’Why did she pull away?’

A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

’Did she do that on purpose?’

He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.

’It doesn’t matter. I just need one touch. That’s all.’

Recomposing himself, he casually extended his arm toward her shoulder, intending to give it a light tap.

But just as his fingers were inches away, Maria bent down to dip the towel into the bucket beside her.

His hand met empty air.

Again.

The corner of Denzel’s eye twitched.

’Seriously?’

His irritation flared hotter this time.

’Is she playing with me right now?’

He clenched his jaw, his frustration simmering beneath the surface.

’She probably has no idea what she’s even doing... but damn, this is getting annoying.’

"Just look at that ass..."

Denzel’s gaze lingered shamelessly on the full swell of Maria’s hips, the curve of her skirt stretched so tightly over her plump backside that it left very little to the imagination. The sight alone made his fingers twitch.

It made him want to spank it. Hard.

A low breath escaped his lips as irritation flickered through him.

This delay had already gone on long enough. He had been interrupted and dragged away from his plans far too many times tonight, and frankly, he was done entertaining it.

It was annoying.

Infuriatingly annoying.

His jaw tightened.

No... he had already made himself a promise, and there was no way he was about to break it now.

A promise was a promise.

His eyes darkened with resolve.

"It’s time to end this."

His lips barely moved as he muttered under his breath.

"Yield."

The instant the word left his mouth, the familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[Activation phrase detected.]

[Skill successfully activated.]

At that exact moment, Maria’s ears twitched ever so slightly, catching the faint whisper that had escaped him.

Her brows furrowed.

"Hm?"

She tilted her head, her voice soft with confusion.

"Did you just say something?"

But Denzel answered before she could think too deeply about it.

"No, I didn’t. Don’t worry about it" Denzel replied

His eyes locked onto hers.

’I told myself we were doing this tonight and I never lie to myself’ Inside, Denzel’s thoughts burned

’I have to make move now to get the night started while my skill is still active’ Denzel thought as his body twitched to grab Maria

But before he could move, he noticed something. Maria was moving...differently

She bent her head down slightly in a seductive and then brushed her hair over her ears. Chest out exposing more of of her cleavage to Denzel’s eyes and then slowly, she walked up to him.

Yes, to Denzel!

’What’s going on...this isn’t part of the script I had planned for tonight, has she gone crazy?’ Denzel’s thoughts spiraled

Aa she got close enough to him, she stopped for a brief moment and then looked up at Denzel...who is still confused

And with a sudden burst of desperate impulse, Maria surged forward and crashed her lips against his engaging Denzel in a hot kiss

’Huh? What the fuck is happening...my skill is active but I haven’t touched her yet’ Denzel who was engaged in a hot kiss has his mind spiraling