Chapter 8

"Spencer? She's five years older than you and your boss. No matter how you look at it, you can't just call her by her name. That's crossing the line. In my company, you'd be out the door for that," Adelina said.

"And what are you, anyway? Dayana and her husband are having a conversation. Who said you could butt in? Are you super close with Dayana? Or maybe her husband? Seriously, no upbringing at all," Adelina continued.

Adelina's words came out like a machine gun, rapid and merciless. Natasha bit her lip, too afraid to talk back. Her shoulders trembled slightly, making her look so pitiful.

"Adelina, you're going too far. She's just a kid. Why do you have to be so mean? She's drunk. Let's go," Spencer said.

Adelina called over a waiter. No way was she going to miss this perfect chance to help Dayana get her revenge. She booked a room and ordered up a bucket of ice water.

Right in front of everyone, she dumped the ice water all over Natasha, soaking her from head to toe. The chill was so intense that Natasha nearly shot straight up into the air.

Dayana couldn't hold back her laughter, and Adelina was clearly enjoying every second of it.

"No need to thank me. Just doing my job. Bet you're sober now, huh? Not feeling so bad anymore, right?" Adelina said.

Spencer's face turned grim as he shoved Adelina aside. "Are you out of your mind? It's freezing tonight! No wonder you and her are such good friends, both cruel as hell. I can't believe I ever thought you were my friend. We're done. Move."

He called over a colleague to take Natasha away. Even if she didn't catch a fever, she'd be feeling miserable for days.

Dayana gave a helpless smile. "Why even bother getting into it with them? All you did was end up getting chewed out."

Adelina lit up a cigarette and blew out a slow smoke ring. "I just can't stand how those two act. He's a total jerk, and she's a fake. Trying to play the saint when everyone knows what they're really like? As if."

They partied until the wee hours, finally heading home around dawn. Dayana had had quite a bit to drink, but her mind was still sharp. With less than a week before she left the country, there was still one thing she couldn't leave undone.

Dayana hopped online to check what documents she'd need to transfer the property title and get her name off the family registry. Not only did she have to show up in person, but the homeowner also had to write a letter of authorization.

Lately, Spencer had been coming home way more often. He could tell that something about Dayana was different, but he just couldn't figure out what.

He was always restless, and honestly, the only thing that calmed him down was catching sight of her whenever he walked through the door.

They sat across from each other at the dining table, eating in silence. Dayana got up, went to the study, and came back with a pen and paper, setting them down in front of Spencer.

"Write me an authorization letter. Tomorrow, I'm going to remove my name from the property title and the household registry," Dayana said.

Spencer put down his fork and looked at her, confused. "Why?"

Dayana replied calmly, "The taxes are too high, and it'll just make things complicated if I want to buy anything else later. Having just your name on it is enough. Only the owner can take someone off the title."

Spencer wanted to ask more, but it was Natasha's birthday, and he still needed to get her a present. He quickly signed his name and left.

Dayana didn't hesitate for a moment. She grabbed all the paperwork and went straight to get it done. By the time she walked out, it felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted. Everything was taken care of.

Dayana had pretty much packed up all her stuff around the house. When Spencer came home, he was carrying a package. He set it on the table, figuring he'd open it after his shower.

But Dayana got to it first. It was an official invitation from the event organizers abroad, asking her to attend on time. She shredded it and dumped the scraps in the trash. Spencer came out, towel in hand, glancing over at her.

"I just picked it up on my way in. I saw something about an invitation on the envelope. Are you going to some event?" he asked.

Dayana shook her head. "Must've been a mistake. It's just the paperwork for my replacement ID. I lost the old one a while back," she replied.

Spencer kept looking her way, hesitating. Dayana had enough of it and finally turned to face him. "Is there something you want to say?" she asked.

He sat down on the couch, staring at her. He looked like he wanted to say something, but just couldn't get the words out.

"Is something up with you lately? If you need anything, just let me know. Come on, you know you can talk to me," he said.

"I only see Natasha as a little sister. I get that you're not a fan of her, but she's just a kid, and honestly, she reminds me of how we used to be. So I just want to look out for her," he explained.

Spencer hardly ever explained himself, but Dayana was way past caring. She just sipped her water, totally unfazed.

"It's nothing, I'm good. I won't let it get to me," Dayana replied calmly.

Even after hearing Dayana say that, Spencer still couldn't shake off his worry. He was just about to suggest maybe taking a trip sometime to clear his mind when his phone rang. It was Natasha.

She said she was stuck on a document and the client was getting anxious, asking if Spencer could take a look and help her out.