Welch's have a traditional Christmas party every year – or so Milena tells me. It's always fun, which means there's a lot of work, but people tend to be nicer. Milena claims even Mrs Welch isn't so uptight at that time. I don't really believe that, so I'll just have to wait and see if that's really true.

Adrian allowed me to wear a different outfit tonight. He said there'll be a lot of people – even men and he said he knows how they are and what will go through their minds. And he said he doesn't want anything to happen to me if it's in his power to prevent it.

I don't know if he realised it, but he admitted that he's jealous – once again. And him being protective of me made me feel things I shouldn't really feel. It doesn't help the situation at all.

Adrian changed his behaviour towards me a bit. He became more ... attentive. After what happened last week, he constantly asked if I'm alright and if he hurt me. He was really worried about me.

I like this side of him. But I'm also scared. Because if this is him; the real him, under all his business suit and serious face that gives a look of a cold-hearted businessman everyone should fear ... if under all of this, is hiding someone so nice ... I'm afraid I'm in for a massive heartbreak.

A man like him would never settle for a simple woman like me. I'm realistic here and this is how it works. I know it. And even if he did, a woman like me could never hold his interest for long. He's constantly surrounded by great, amazing, successful and beautiful people – especially women.

Someone else could easily steal his interest. Because, let's be honest, I have nothing when there are others who have everything sorted out already. They know what they want in their lives, they're doing something for it and they don't have to work as a housekeeper to finish a school and, most importantly, they don't live on the streets. I believe they all have something and someone in their lives. I really have no one.

So, this is fun and this is building my confidence a little that a man like Adrian would desire me, but this is not a permanent state. This will end one day and I can't lie to myself.

I have a busy night ahead and there's no time to think about stuff like this.

But when Adrian told me there are going to be men here tonight, I should have also known that there are going to be women here. A lot of women. And there's that one ... the one he brought here once before, the one who was all over him and even dared to kiss him.

I almost drop the tray with drinks when I see him talking to her. I'm instantly jealous, with no right to be. Mrs Welch is close to him, but they're not really ... together.

I think they put on a great show for others. They might fool others, but I know how things really are between them. And, therefore, if he shows her any affection, it doesn't bother me that much. It's still weird seeing it, but since I know him and since I've been around them for some time now, I learned how to read their body language, especially Adrian's.

His moves with her seem too forced and calculated. Every smile he gives her, every look ... it's all pretence and fake.

But her.

There's something on her. It's not only beauty. It's just the way she looks at Adrian. I recognise that look. Probably because I'm wearing the same one.

Ella lo ama. She loves him. And that bothers me. I can't help it.

I watch them closely, seeing how Adrian reacts to her not so subtle touches and eyelashes battling. He doesn't show that he's interested, but he doesn't back away from it, either. It's like he doesn't even notice, but he'd be blind not to.

My eyes narrow when I see she puts her hand on his chest, and drags her long nails down. Someone steps in front of me, blocking the view and I look at the gentleman that takes a glass of champagne from the tray. I send him a smile that must look fake. I don't feel like smiling.

He doesn't react in any way, just turns around and goes to where he came from. I look back to where Adrian was standing, but he's not there anymore. And the touchy woman disappeared, too.

I feel my heart drop. This is such an unpleasant, unwanted feeling. When I know I have no right to be jealous and I know I can't do anything about it. Because I'm just a maid that no one cares about. I'm a nobody. And a nobody has no right to be jealous of a man going after someone who's more suitable for him.

It sucks. Duele. It hurts so much when someone gives you hope, but you know you're just not enough for them. And you keep hoping. But the hope is what destroys you. The hope creates unrealistic images that could never happen. And the hope turns into dreaming. And then believing. And you convince yourself that maybe, maybe you can have what you want.

But the thing is ... you can't. And that's why hope is a puta. A bitch. It creates false beliefs that reality crashes real soon. And it creates pain for you. So much pain ...

I think one of the worst feelings I've felt in my life is the one that I'm not good enough. I've never felt good enough for anything or anyone and that's been slowly destroying me, day by day.

I look away from the spot I saw Adrian standing before and go back to work. I don't have time to fall apart. My problems will have to wait.

I put on a neutral face and walk around the room, offering others the drinks.

But seeing all these people, being happy, carefree and having fun is an even more of a reminder of how lonely I truly am. The Christmas decorations make this place even more magical and heart-warming, but I feel even emptier. There are people with happy faces all around me, all of them having someone by their side and I'm ... alone.

This is why I hate the holidays. They are a painful reminder that I'm a nobody in a world full of somebodies.

This evening is going agonisingly slow. I have to make sure everyone is having a good time and I try to avoid drunks. I see Adrian appears again, but this time he's without her. She's nowhere to be seen. I can't help but feel some joy about that.

I go to the kitchen to fill my tray with more glasses of champagne when Adrian sneaks up on me from behind. This time, I make sure it's really him. I still haven't forgotten what happened that time with that man. I was assaulted and no one believed me. Because I'm a nobody. And why would somebodies believe a nobody?

"Adrian, don't," I whisper when he wraps his arms around me and nuzzles his head into my neck, placing a soft kiss on it. My head involuntarily moves so he can have more space.

"Come with me," he says, taking my hand.

I put the tray with the drinks on the counter before I could drop it. "What are you doing?" I hiss, my heart starting a beat a little faster.

Adrian doesn't answer my question. We sneak to the darkened hallway. He makes sure there's no one there before he pushes me against the wall and kisses me. Really, really kisses me.

I'm too shocked to respond at first. But the pleasure is too strong to ignore it and I moan into his mouth, my hands going straight into his thick hair. I've wanted to do this the whole evening. And by the way Adrian is kissing me, he did, too.

"You can't make a sound," he demands against my lips.

I can't help but moan in response.

"No sound, Cassandra," Adrian repeats.

He takes his lips away from me suddenly. I open my mouth to say something, but Adrian only gives me a look and I close my mouth and decide to stay quiet.

He opens my pants and his hand goes into my panties. My eyes open widely and I look around to make sure if we're really alone. But his touch makes me forget about everything and everyone else. It's just us.

"Already so damn wet." He sounds pleased with himself.

He doesn't wait. He pushes two fingers inside and we both groan. He kisses me again, to muffle my sounds of pleasure. I wrap my hand around his neck, holding him to me.

And when Adrian breaks the kiss yet again, he doesn't move away. We stay like that, our foreheads pressed against each other's, our breathing mixing together. I don't smell the champagne on him, which tells me he hasn't been drinking and he's completely sober.

The smell of his cologne and his own smell is intoxicating enough for me. It drives me crazy.

"I'll fuck you and it's going to be fast and hard. Can you handle that?"

"Pruébame, guapo," I say seductively. Try me handsome.

Adrian doesn't even wait for a second. He gets rid of my pants with a little of my help and he hastily unbuckles his pants, revealing his hard, pulsing cock.

He lifts me up so I can wrap my legs around his waist and pushes me against the wall at the same time he enters me. "Ay, Dios." My head falls back, leaning against the hard wall behind as my eyes roll back.

I hold onto him for dear life when he immediately starts at a steady pace. And, as he promised, it's hard and fast. We don't have time and we're both more than ready.

We can also get caught at any second and I think this even raises our arousal.

"God, you feel good. I had to watch all the men in the room look at you, desire you. I had to keep reminding myself it's going to be me burying my cock in your sweet pussy afterwards. Only me."

"Sí, sí. Sólo tu," I confirm his words.

I can taste the jealousy on his lips when he kisses me.

But something makes me open my eyes. I panic when I see a shadow. I blink a few times. There's someone standing there. Watching us.

I stare back. It's her.

She's only standing there with her glass in her hand, her mouth hanging open. It's too dark to fully make out her face, but she seems surprised. And shocked.

I intimately put my hand on the back of Adrian's head, leaning to his ear and whispering "Más," into his ear. More. It brings a low grunt of pleasure out of his lips.

I give the woman a sultry smile. I'm claiming him and I make sure she sees it.

She turns around and hurries away, making sure her heels are heard as she walks.

Adrian didn't see her. He's in his own pleasure right now, driving us both to an orgasm. He's close. I can feel it. His movements get even faster and his breathing fastens.

He comes before I do. He presses his lips against the skin of my neck to muffle his low groan as he empties inside of me. I feel it. I feel every drop and every pulse. And that sends me over the edge.

I close my eyes and lean my head back against the wall, opening my mouth in a silent shout of pleasure. I don't dare to make a sound.

Adrian holds me to him for a few minutes, calming himself down. But his hug ... it feels intimate. Warm. It's different. His arms hold me a little tighter than usual.

"I have to go back to work," I say softly, remembering that I'm still half naked and anyone could walk in on us. That would be fun to explain.

Adrian lifts his head from my neck with a regretful sigh. "Yeah. I should go back in there, too."

He slips out of me and I feel the semen dripping down my thighs. I close them together because the feeling makes me uncomfortable. Adrian notices my movement and looks at me in amusement.

"I'll go clean myself up," I announce, taking my pants from the floor.

"Need any help?" Adrian asks, his voice dark and promising, hinting I wouldn't get much help from him.

"Go get yourself presentable and go back in there before anyone notices," I say, being the reasonable one for the first time.

"Yes, Ma'am." Adrian presses his face to the side of my head, whispering, "You bossing me around is a major turn on, actually. But don't let that get to your head."

I close my eyes as I inhale sharply. I have to hurry away before I'd do something stupid again.

I run to the bathroom, as fast as I can, but careful that no one sees me. I quickly fix my hair and clean my legs. I'm sure I smell of sex, but I don't have time to shower. A perfume would have to do for now.

I try to look polished and calm as I walk back. I try to blend in and act as if nothing happened. It feels like everyone in the room knows what was going on about me, but no one gives me any attention, so that's a good thing and it calms me down a little.

I hurry back to the kitchen for my tray of glasses. I notice Mrs Welch gives me an angry look, but I ignore it. Adrian is already here and I don't even dare to look at him, although I can feel his eyes on me.

I walk around the room, offering everyone drinks and keeping a smile on my lips. This time it's more of a real one.

I notice something. Or, rather someone new coming into the room. And I have to blink my eyes a few times to see if I'm seeing correctly.

I almost drop the tray I'm holding. My hand starts shaking.

The woman that entered the room looks around. She's not dressed for a party. A few people look at her.

My heart almost jumps out of my chest when her eyes land on me.

She walks straight towards me. She's like a storm. "Cassie," she says once she's standing right in front of me.

"Madre," I whisper, all the colour disappearing from my face.